


Whatever You'll Give Me

by Woody7066



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: College AU, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-11
Updated: 2018-05-12
Packaged: 2019-01-31 16:34:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 72,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12685833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Woody7066/pseuds/Woody7066
Summary: Updated summary: Waverly is commuting to the Big City to take college classes, when she has a chance encounter with a police academy cadet named Nicole. They strike up a friendship and maybe more. The story occurs in the year before Wynonna returns to Purgatory, but general aspects of the story are intended to be canon-compliant (e.g., the curse exists, Willa is dead, etc.).  But most of the story takes place in the Big City.Original summary: Yup, it's another college AU. I'm pretty new to this fandom (and fanfic in general) and didn't realize this was such a popular AU. But I've already written 90% of what I have planned so here goes nothing.This will be a bit of a slow burn toward "mature."





	1. Trouble

As the bar grew more crowded, Waverly started to regret accepting her classmates’ invitation to go out after lecture. She spent five nights a weeks dealing with various drunks and hooligans at Shorty’s, so on her days off she preferred going to yoga or holing up in her apartment with a cup of tea and a good book. But Waverly liked the idea of making a few friends in the Big City, where she didn’t face the same expectations and prejudices she did in Purgatory. Being an Earp came with baggage, and she thought it would be nice to be free of it for a night. So Waverly enthusiastically accepted when Jackie, a girl in her anthropology class with whom she’d become friendly, asked if she wanted to join a group of people for drinks at The Bullhorn. 

The Bullhorn had dark interior, a square bar in the center with pool tables and dart boards toward the back. Waverly ordered a whiskey at the bar, then found Jackie and some of her other classmates and chatted for a while. Slowly, people started to melt away as they were recruited to play pool or darts or went to greet other friends that arrived. While meeting new people was exciting, it was also something Waverly did not have much experience with beyond the surface-level chatter she used with visiting patrons of Shorty’s. Suddenly alone, Waverly became anxious and decided to grab another drink.

She sidled up to the bar and grabbed an open barstool. The bartender gave her a glance and she ordered another whiskey. As she waited, Waverly studied the dents and scratches on the well-worn bar. The Bullhorn, she had been told, was an institution in the Big City, having been around for decades. Perhaps Waverly would have been more impressed if she didn’t work in one of the oldest bars west of the Mississippi.

“There you are,” said a low voice behind her. She turned to see Mitch, one of her anthropology classmates.

Waverly gave a polite smile. “Hello.” 

She’d never really spoken to Mitch one-on-one; he seemed rather quiet. He was tall and thin and cute in a boyish way. Mitch ordered a beer and sat on the empty barstool to her right. They chatted amiably about school. He was a junior, a full-time student, and planned to be an accountant. Waverly explained that this was her first semester on campus after taking classes online the year before. She was taking just two courses this semester because she worked full time and had a lengthy commute to school.

The bartender dropped off a beer. Mitch grabbed it with his right hand, and as he took a sip, he leaned back and draped his left arm across the back of Waverly’s chair. They continued to chat about school. After a few minutes, and without preamble, Mitch leaned in close, his breath hot and sour.

“So I have two tickets to the football game tomorrow night. I think we should go.” 

Waverly was not unaccustomed to a being asked out, though it was usually by a drunk old man at Shorty’s so Waverly would just roll her eyes and ignore it. If Gus overheard she would swat the perpetrator upside the head and scoot him out the door. But here, Waverly was on unknown turf and without reinforcements. 

“Sorry, but I work every Friday.”

Undeterred, Mitch leaned closer and shifted his arm onto her shoulders. His touch sent a chill up her spine. “Surely you switch with someone?” 

“That’s pretty hard to do on such short notice.” Waverly decided on a hasty exit, spinning on her barstool and out of Mitch’s embrace. “Excuse me,” she muttered. Waverly grabbed her drink and purse and scanned the dark bar for a familiar face. Jackie was standing by one of the pool tables, waving her over. Relieved, Waverly crossed the room.

Jackie was racking the balls. “I saw you talking to Mitch. Did he ask you out?”

“How did you know?”

“Just a hunch. He’s got a bit of a reputation.” She nodded at Waverly, who grabbed a stick off a rack on the wall.

Waverly lined up her shot and broke, without success. “A reputation as what?”

“Persistent,” Jackie replied as she sunk a striped ball into the corner.

As they played, Waverly noticed that although Mitch had stayed on his barstool, he watched their entire game intently from across the bar. Jackie and Waverly were evenly matched, but Jackie ultimately prevailed. 

“Rematch?”

Waverly said she was game, but she wanted to use the restroom first. She snaked her way through the pool tables to the hall at the back of the bar that led to the facilities. There was, of course, a line for the ladies’ room. Waverly leaned up against the wall behind a duo who were chatting enthusiastically about an Instagram post. When it was their turn, the two girls went into the bathroom together, leaving Waverly alone in the dark, narrow hall. She started to reach into her purse for her phone, when a hand grabbed her shoulder from behind. Waverly jumped and turned.

It was Mitch. “So I was thinking, what about going to a basketball game when the season starts in a couple weeks? If we plan it now then you’ll have enough time to ask for time off.” He was leaning over her, uncomfortably close. 

“You know, I’m just not really into sports.” Waverly had been a cheerleader in high school -- head cheerleader in fact -- but she was never very interested in the actual games. She just enjoyed the dancing, camaraderie, and cute outfits. “And you know I've got a boy-”

“Then how about dinner sometime? Or a movie?” He suggested insistently. The door to the ladies’ room opened, and the two girls exited.

She tried a different tact. “You know, I’ll think about it.” Then she stepped back toward the open door, but Mitch stepped forward and grabbed her wrist. 

“What’s there to think about?”

From behind Mitch came a high-pitched voice that Waverly did not recognize. 

“Hey girl!” 

A tall redheaded girl emerged. Waverly had no idea who she was, but the stranger pushed back Mitch and gave Waverly a quick hug. After she pulled back, she said “Can I come in with you? I’ve got to tell you what Jimmy just did.” The girl raised her eyebrows and tilted her head.

Catching on, Waverly exclaimed loudly that she couldn’t wait to hear all about it and then pulled the redhead into the bathroom with her. Waverly closed the door and turned, leaning against the door and locking in behind her. The other girl stood in the middle of the bathroom, looking concerned.

“You okay?” She asked in a much lower register. Her tone in the hallway must have been part of the act.

Waverly exhaled. “I am now.” She took in the stranger -- she was even taller than Waverly had realized, had a heart-shaped face, framed by shoulder-length red hair and big brown eyes. She was smiling at Waverly, her grin punctuated by a pair of adorable dimples. 

“Sorry for the random intervention but that guy sounded a little creepy, and then when he grabbed you I just couldn't stand there and do nothing. Kinda signed up for the opposite.”

“It was definitely a little creepy, so thank you-” Waverly stuck out her hand.

The redhead gave her hand a firm shake. “Nicole.”

“Waverly. A pleasure to meet you.” They dropped their hands. Waverly noticed an embroidered patch on Nicole’s grey polo shirt, which she read aloud. “Big City Police Academy.”

“Yup, I’m a cadet. What about you? Student?”

“Yes, at City U.”

“Figured. I graduated from there a couple years ago.”

There was an urgent knock on the door. Waverly eyed the door nervously. “Do you think he’s still out there?”

“How about I go out first and you follow me?” Waverly nodded as Nicole continued, “Want me to take you back to your pool table?” 

Waverly narrowed her brow. “How did you know I was playing pool?”

“Let’s just say you caught my eye.”

_Did she just wink at me?_ (She definitely did.) But before Waverly could react, Nicole had opened the door, grabbed Waverly’s hand and led her out of the bathroom. They streaked down the hall and back out into the bar. Waverly didn’t see Mitch, but she did see Jackie, who was leaning up against their pool table, checking her phone. Nicole was taking her that way, but Waverly tugged away her hand, causing Nicole to stop and look back.

“I think I owe you a drink.” She glanced over at Jackie. “But I don’t want to ditch my friend. Can I invite her to join us too?”

Nicole smiled. “Of course.”

“Great. Where are you sitting?” 

Nicole pointed to two large high-top tables pushed together near the windows, where a handful of people dressed in polos just like Nicole’s were sitting. One of the guys noticed Nicole and gave her a wave. 

“In that case, let me go get Jackie, grab some drinks, and we’ll join you in a few. What’ll you have?” 

Before Nicole could reply, a large bearded man suddenly stumbled into Waverly from behind. She lurched into Nicole, who caught her in an embrace. Waverly looked up, and Nicole gave her a sly grin, learned in and whispered in her ear. 

“Whatever you’ll give me.” 

Nicole steadied Waverly, then released her and walked over to where her fellow cadets were sitting. Waverly remained rooted to the spot, her body tingling, her mouth slightly agape.

“Waverly!” She turned to see Jackie. “Where have you been? Who was that?”

Waverly was glad it was dark so Jackie couldn’t see her blush. “The bathroom line was a nightmare, but I got talking to that girl and she seemed nice. She invited us to have a drink with her and her friends.” Waverly gestured toward the tables where Nicole and her cadet-mates were sitting. As Jackie glanced over, Waverly continued her sales pitch. “They’re police cadets. Some of them look pretty cute.”

“Oh why not. But now I have to hit the bathroom. I’ll meet you over there.”

“Okay. Should I get you another beer?” Waverly asked. Jackie gave her a thumbs up as she retreated toward the bathroom.

Keeping an eye out for Mitch, Waverly ordered a couple whiskeys and a pint at the bar, then made her way to the high-top tables. Nicole was sitting on the window side, facing toward the bar. As Waverly approached, Nicole patted the open seat to her left. Waverly put the drinks down on the table and slid onto the open chair. She looked out at the bar -- no Mitch in sight. _Thank goodness._

“Is your friend joining us too?” Nicole asked. Waverly nodded, and Nicole asked one of her friends to grab an unused chair from a neighboring table. They all shifted to make room for the additional seat. The squeeze left the pair sitting so close that Waverly could smell the other girl's perfume.

Nicole turned to Waverly. Their knees knocked painfully. "Oh sorry," Nicole said as she reached over and gave Waverly's knee a quick rub. The touch sent a charge up Waverly's leg, and she looked away bashfully. Nicole pulled her hand back up onto the table and grabbed one of the glasses in front of Waverly. “So what are we drinking?”

Grabbing the other glass, Waverly looked back with a challenge in her eyes. “Whiskey,” she replied.

Nicole’s eyes widened and she let out a low whistle. “I think you,” she lifted her glass and fixed her gaze on Waverly, “are trouble.”

Waverly smirked. They clinked glasses, and drank.


	2. Purgatory

After an early morning yoga class and a couple hours of studying in her apartment upstairs, Waverly went down to Shorty’s at 10:30 AM to start getting the bar ready to open. It was Saturday and they were expecting their usual weekend crowd. As she went about the various menial tasks required -- setting up the tables, wiping them down, cleaning the taps, putting out the glassware, rearranging the liquor -- she thought back on her night at The Bullhorn. 

*****

The cadets were a fun-loving bunch, teasing each other incessantly. Waverly was content to observe and laugh, though by the end of the night she started to feel confident enough to jump in here and there. She discovered that “Jimmy” was a real person - a handsome cadet with dark skin and a killer smile. When he introduced himself, Jimmy said that he lived with Nicole.

“Roommates,” Nicole quickly clarified.

When asked where she lived, Waverly explained that she commuted down from Purgatory twice a week for classes on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and that every other day of the week she worked at Shorty’s, a bar in Purgatory. After the guys in the group exhausted their backlog of “shorty” jokes, Jimmy jumped in.

“Nicole, didn’t you say there’s some good rock climbing up that way that you wanted to try?” He didn’t wait for a response. “Waverly, have you ever been climbing?”

Waverly shook her head.

“You’ll have to try it sometime,” Nicole suggested.

The group discussed some of the places they had climbed -- Bryce Canyon, Zion, the Grand Canyon -- places Waverly had only ever seen on a map or read about in books. As that conversation continued, Nicole leaned over and asked her in a whisper, “So what do you do when you’re not studying and tending bar?”

“I read a lot. I love history, languages.”

“Have you been to the Big City History Museum?” Waverly shook her head. “It’s great. Their permanent collection is stellar, and I think the temporary exhibit on Ancient Egypt is still there. You should check it out sometime.”

Waverly was about to respond when a cadet named Bea shouted at Nicole to pass the pitcher of beer, so her question was heard only inside her head.

 _With you?_  

*****

Waverly’s reverie was broken by a crash coming from the kitchen. It sounded like Gus had dropped a plate or two so Waverly hurried along to help clean up. Not long after, the lunch crowd started trickling in, which kept Waverly’s mind busy for a few hours. As the bar fell into lull between lunch and happy hour, Waverly’s thoughts returned her night in the Big City. 

*****

Thursday night at The Bullhorn was apparently a tradition for police academy cadets. They didn’t have physical training on Friday, just a couple classes so they tended to hit things pretty hard. There seemed to be an endless supply of pitchers arriving at the table. Someone had the good sense to order some food, for which Waverly was very grateful.

After a couple beers with the gang, Jackie said she had to get going. One of the cadets -- a goofy guy that everyone called Buck -- jumped up and asked for her number and she obliged. Jackie gave her a look to see if she was coming too, but Waverly shook her head and stayed.

A group left the table to go play dart and Jimmy went to get more drinks, so Waverly and Nicole found themselves alone. Waverly asked Nicole about their police training. She was fascinated but all the physical requirements, the marksmanship training, the various classes they took. She also learned that Nicole had graduated with a criminal justice degree and was planning to start law school after taking a year off to travel, but she opted for the academy.

“I wanted something more active,” Nicole had explained.

When Jimmy returned with another pitcher, Waverly declined a beer. She had purposefully stopped after her second whiskey so she’d be okay for the long drive home. And truth be told, she was starting to fade. She’d been at The Bullhorn since happy hour and it was now close to 9. She leaned over and told Nicole she needed to go soon.

“But I need a favor first.” Nicole looked at her quizzically. “Can you come with me to the bathroom? I didn’t actually use it last time I was in there, and I’m a little worried about --”

“Say no more. I got you.”

Nicole led the way. Waverly saw her glancing around the bar, presumably for signs of Mitch. Waverly kept her eyes on Nicole. When they reached the bathroom, Nicole said she didn’t see “the creeper” but she’d wait outside the bathroom until Waverly was done.

When Waverly reemerged, Nicole offered to walk Waverly to her car. Waverly explained that she was parked just down the street, but Nicole insisted. They were just steps outside the door of The Bullhorn when Buck came stumbling out behind them. He fell onto his knees on sidewalk and started throwing up into the gutter. Nicole rushed over, propping Buck up and patting his back. Jimmy then came outside, and the two of them helped Buck stand upright after it appeared the worst was over.

Nicole looked over and Waverly with a look of apology. “Nicole, it’s fine. Take care of your friend. I can see my Jeep from here.” And she pulled an object from her purse. “And I carry mace, just in case.”

“Smart girl.” Nicole have her a smile and Waverly hurried along.

When she got to her Jeep, Waverly looked back and saw that Nicole and Jimmy, still holding Buck between them, had stopped just outside the door to the bar. Waverly went around to the driver’s side, jumped in, and started the engine. As she drove past the bar, she waved to Nicole and Jimmy, and they both smiled back.

 _I made a new friend_. Waverly smiled at the thought. She was halfway home before she realized she never got Nicole’s number or even her last name.

*****

It had been over a week since she had seen Nicole, and she felt an overwhelming urge to talk to her -- about anything, really. It had been so long since she’d made a new friend, and she knew Nicole would be a good one. She was inquisitive without being intrusive. She was certainly patient, having sat through Waverly’s overly long (and probably boring) description of a TV show she had watched about a new archaeological site that had been uncovered in Mexico. And although it took a little prying to get Nicole to talk about herself, Waverly was fascinated by just about everything she had to say. Unlike her, Nicole had traveled quite a bit and clearly had an adventurous streak. She had taken a year off after college and used the time well -- she went kayaking in Alaska, bungee jumping in New Zealand, and snorkeling in Costa Rica.

But Waverly still didn’t have Nicole’s number and had no way of getting in touch with her. She tried searching for Nicole on Facebook and Instagram using the information she had, but she came up empty. After class on Tuesday, Waverly asked Jackie whether she could get Buck’s number from her, but Jackie admitted that she had given him a fake one. Then Waverly remembered a coffee shop that Nicole said she liked to study at in the evenings, so Waverly went there for a couple hours after class, but Nicole didn’t show.

Waverly then decided to stop by The Bullhorn on Thursday, but her Jeep’s starter went out that morning so she missed class entirely. Now it was the weekend, and Waverly was working as usual.

“Earth to Waverly.” Gus snapped her fingers a couple times in Waverly’s face. “You gonna take anybody’s order or just read their minds?” Waverly smiled, muttered an apology to her aunt and got back to work. It was nearly happy hour and things were picking up again. Waverly took orders around the bar, poured some drinks, and was making small talk with a couple regulars about the Purgatory High homecoming game the night before.

“What’s a girl gotta do to get a whiskey around here?” Waverly’s head snapped up, and she saw Nicole’s red mane and bright smile looking back at her from a few barstools down.

“Nicole!” Waverly gave a little clap and rushed over. “What are you doing here?”

Nicole pointed to a table in the corner, where Jimmy and a few other cadets were sitting, looking at menus. “We came up and did some rock climbing over in the mountains, and we couldn’t go back to the Big City without seeing the one and only Shorty’s.”

“Well you are all very welcome to the bar where Wyatt Earp drank.” She gestured to the sign behind the bar. “Your first round is on me.”

Bill Hundsvall, who was sitting next to Nicole, muttered that he never got free drinks. Nicole and Waverly shared a smile.

“Whiskey?” Waverly asked.

“Absolutely. What we had the other night was good.”

Waverly poured a glass of Alberta Rye and set it down in front of Nicole. Then she put four more glasses on a tray and poured. As Nicole raised her glass and took a sip, Waverly noticed a bandage on Nicole’s left hand.

“What happened?” Waverly asked.

“Scraped a my hand on a rock. But it’s fine.”

“You sure? Looks like you could use a new bandage. I’ve got a first aid kit behind the bar.” Waverly didn’t wait for a response and grabbed the kit from beneath the register. She reached out and lightly grabbed Nicole’s hand, carefully turning it palm up and starting to remove the old bandage.

“Waverly, you really don’t need to. I can do that.”

“Oh hush. You aren’t the first person I’ve had to patch up here at Shorty’s and you won’t be the last.”

Waverly took the bandage off and examined the wound, which was a couple inches long, starting on the side of Nicole’s index finger and ending on her palm. Waverly got out the hydrogen peroxide and a couple cotton balls out of her kit.

“This will sting a little,” she warned.

But Nicole didn’t flinch at all. Waverly applied some neosporin, placed a couple sterile pads over the wound and bound it all with gauze around the palm and index finger. After she clipped the gauze and taped it up, she took Nicole’s hand again and inspected her handiwork. She looked up. Nicole gave her a warm, toothless smile.

Those dimples. An unfamiliar charge pulsed through every inch of Waverly.

“You have got to bring that first aid kit to my place tonight. Maybe get a little nurse’s uniform.” Waverly quickly withdrew her hand from Nicole’s and turned to see Champ, who was standing behind her. Waverly wondered how long he’d been there.

“Champ! If Gus sees you behind the bar, she’ll kick you out again.” She tried to shoo him away.

Champ pulled Waverly into a bear hug. “Not until I get a kiss.” Waverly gave him a quick peck on the cheek and then wriggled her way out of the embrace.

“I’m gonna need more than that, but it can wait until later.” He playfully patted her rear.

Waverly swatted him away and glanced behind her. Nicole had retreated to the table where her friends sat. Tracey was taking their order. Champ circled around to the outside of the bar and took the stool vacated by Nicole. Waverly fulfilled some drink orders that had come in from the tables and made a round of the bar patrons before returning to Champ.

“What are you doing here? I thought you had a rodeo over in Cannon?” She asked. She ventured a glance over at Nicole, who looked up at the same moment. Their eyes met briefly before Nicole returned her attention to her friends.

“Good to see you too, darling. And the rodeo is over -- or at least mine is. I crapped out in the prelims. I’m going to drown my sorrows at Brandon’s. He’s invited the gang over for some poker.”

“Well I’m sorry to hear that. Call me if you need a ride home.”

“I’ll probably crash there, so don’t wait up.”

Champ leaned over the bar, expecting a kiss. Waverly gave him a quick peck, and Champ strolled out of the bar. Waverly noticed Tracey was at the register ringing up a couple bills. Waverly offered to go see if the cadets needed more drinks walked over. Their food had arrived, and they were digging in hungrily.

“Just checking to see whether you guys needed anything more to drink.” Waverly glanced at Nicole, who didn’t look up from her turkey burger.

Jimmy jumped in, “How about a pitcher -- something hoppy. Whatever you would recommend. And thanks again for the whiskey. Really hit the spot. It was a tough climb today.”

Waverly smiled. She liked Jimmy.

“You’re very welcome. And I’ll have that pitcher out to you right away.”

Waverly ventured another look at Nicole, who was now studiously dipping her sweet potato fries in honey mustard sauce. Waverly returned to the bar and poured the pitcher, but she had Tracey deliver it. About a half an hour later, Nicole’s gang started getting up from the table. Waverly saw Nicole sign the bill, hand it to Tracey, and then follow her friends toward the door.

“Thanks again for the drinks,” Jimmy shouted at Waverly as he backed out of Shorty’s. Waverly gave him a smile and wave and silently pleaded for Nicole to turn around too. And at the very last moment, she did -- giving Waverly a little half salute from the doorway. Waverly beamed at her in return but realized, once again, that she missed her chance to get Nicole’s number. What’s the point of having a friend you can’t talk to?

Waverly thought about running out to catch Nicole when Tracey came up to her, holding out a bill holder. “That redhead wanted me to give you this.” Waverly opened it, and inside, written on the back of a receipt was a handwritten note.

> _Thanks for patching me up and for the drinks. I owe you now. How about coffee next time you’re in the Big City?  
>  ~NH_

Below her initials, Nicole had written her phone number. Waverly reread the note and then put it carefully into her back pocket. Then she had second thoughts, pulled out the note, and put the number in her phone, returning the note to her pocket when she was done.

After the dinner rush, things slowed down and Gus told her to go home. Waverly climbed the back stairs to her apartment above Shorty’s. She took a long hot shower, then made herself some tea and ate the sandwich she’d brought up from from the bar.

After eating, Waverly settled under her covers and considered watching something on Netflix but got her phone out instead. She had a couple texts and photos from Champ, who seemed to be very drunk already. Chrissy Nedley had texted her about yoga the next morning, and Waverly typed out a quick reply, confirming that she would be there.

Then Waverly flipped to her contacts and pulled up Nicole’s number. She typed out a text and sent it before she lost her nerve.

> **[Sent at 9:13 PM:]** Got your note. How about Tuesday? I’m done with class at 4:45. This is Waverly by the way.

Seconds after she hit send, the three dots appeared. Waverly’s wait for a reply was a short one. Nicole suggested they meet at Figaro’s, the coffee shop Waverly had visited the week before in search of Nicole (though Waverly did not mention this). Waverly agreed and then asked about Nicole’s hand.

> **[Nicole:]** It’s feeling fine. The bandage is holding up great. You make an excellent nurse. :)

Waverly replied with a happy face of her own. They exchanged a few more texts in quick succession about the cadets' climb that day. Nicole sent her a few gorgeous landscapes she had taken. Waverly was admiring one of them when another text arrived:

> **[Sent by Nicole at 9:19 PM:]** Gotta go. I’ve got a pretty lady waiting for me in bed. ;)

Waverly nearly spit out her tea. She re-read the message. _So she is? Huh._

Then she received another photo -- this one showed an orange, long-haired cat curled up on a purple bedspread -- both of which presumably belonged to Nicole. Waverly laughed out loud and sent back a laughing-crying emoticon and said good night.

Waverly watched a couple episodes of Parks & Recreation on her laptop, and then decided to turn in. She brushed her teeth and then went to put her dirty clothes in the laundry basket when she remembered Nicole’s note. She fished it out of the back pocket of her jeans and re-read it. She took it with her over to the bed and put it on her nightstand. Then she grabbed her phone and typed out a text.

> **[Sent at 10:13 PM:]** Forgot to ask you earlier - what’s the “H” stand for?

Then she plugged her phone into the charger, got under the covers, and grabbed a book off the nightstand. She was a few pages in when her phone buzzed.

> **[Sent at 10:17 PM]** Haught. And yes, seriously. ;)

Waverly chuckled. _Of course._ Nicole sent another text before Waverly could respond.

> **[Nicole]:** And you’re Waverly Earp, right?

> **[Waverly]:** Yes, and before you ask, yes, I’m one of those Earps. How’d you know?

> **[Nicole]:** I have my sources. ;)

> **[Nicole]:** Also that’s the first thing that comes up when you Google “Waverly Purgatory,” so I’m basically Sherlock Holmes.

Waverly smiled at the thought that Nicole had Googled her.

> **[Waverly]:** Well, Nicole Haught, I’ll see you at 5 on Tuesday. : **)**

> **[Nicole]:** Ditto, Waverly Earp. :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't sure the best way to do texts in a fic, so I hope what I came up with isn't too annoying.
> 
> I should be updating every couple days once I have a chance to do final edits, but I hope people enjoy these first two chapters.


	3. Beautiful

****Sunday and Monday flew by.  Waverly worked the day shift on Sunday at Shorty’s and spent the evening reading for class. She didn’t even hear from Champ until after 9 pm. He had apparently spent all day sleeping off his “epic hangover.”  He asked to come over but Waverly demurred, citing her homework and a paper she needed to write the next day. Champ complained that he never saw her anymore -- all she did was work and study.  Waverly suggested they see a movie later that week -- Champ’s choice. That seemed to appease him, and Waverly was able to return to her studies.

She wrote her paper the next morning after yoga class and then worked the afternoon and evening shift at the bar. Before Waverly knew it, it was Tuesday. She made some final revisions to her paper in the morning, emailed it to her TA before the deadline at noon, and then headed to the Big City. Before her first lecture, she sent a quick text to Nicole:

> **[Sent at 1:16 PM]**  
>  How’s your hand? We still on for coffee?

Waverly kept her phone out while she unpacked her bag. She and Nicole had texted a quite bit over the last two days, and Nicole was usually quick to respond, often with a joke or GIF. More than once over the last two days, Gus had complained that Waverly was spending too much time at work just smiling at her phone. But she had to stash her phone when her professor walked in -- he was notorious for snatching cell phones from students who were looking at them during class.  

After lecture, Waverly gathered her things and checked her phone. Still nothing. She was starting to worry that this wasn’t going to happen. She almost sent another text but decided against it, not wanting to seem too eager.

When Waverly arrived for her next class, she saw Jackie toward the middle of the room and took a seat next to her.  As she arranged her things, Waverly saw Mitch take a seat a couple rows behind them, just to her left.  She looked away, so as to not make eye contact. The professor began the lecture. Waverly listened intently, though she she could feel Mitch’s eyes on her.

Her anthropology professor was much less strict (and the lecture hall much larger), so Waverly had her phone out and saw a text come through during class. It was a selfie of a smiling Nicole holding a paper bullseye under her chin. The bullseye had a small cluster of holes near the middle. Next to her was Jimmy, who was frowning as he held up his slightly less impressive target. A minute later a text arrived.

> **[Sent at 4:06 PM]**  
>  Sorry, been a busy afternoon. And my hand is healing well. Didn’t keep me from schooling this dork at the range - again! And yup, see you at Figaro’s at 5.

Waverly chuckled. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jackie was curious about what was so amusing. Waverly thought about showing the photo to Jackie but for whatever reason decided to keep it to herself.

At the end of class, Waverly streaked out of the lecture hall -- both to avoid any awkward encounters with Mitch and so as to not be late. Waverly drove the short distance from campus and found a parking spot near the coffee shop. As she walked up, Waverly saw Nicole was waiting for her outside, flipping through her phone. She was wearing slim fit, grey jeans, a white hoodie over a blue t-shirt, and red Chuck Taylors. Her hair was still a little damp. She looked up and saw Waverly and stashed her phone in her pocket.  

“Hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long,” Waverly said.

“Not at all. Just got here.” Nicole picked her backpack off the concrete. “Hope you don’t mind, but I brought some study materials with me. We’ve got a test tomorrow.”

Waverly patted her tote bag. “I brought some reading as well.”

Nicole smiled and opened the door, holding it open for Waverly.

“Why don’t find us a table, and I’ll get us drinks. I owe you one, remember?” Nicole said, holding up her hand and wiggling her fingers. Her hand was no longer bandaged. Waverly noticed it had started to scab over and looked to be healing well. “What are you drinking?” Nicole asked.

“A latte, please.”  

Nicole turned and got in line at the counter.  Waverly spotted an available booth and claimed it. She got out her anthropology textbook and notes from the day’s lecture -- unlike most, she still took them by hand. She was flipping through the book to find the assigned reading when Nicole arrived with their drinks.

“A latte for the lady.” Nicole slid a steaming mug in front of Waverly and then took a seat across from her in the booth.  

“Thank you.”

Nicole slid into the booth and took a tentative sip of her macchiato. She glanced at Waverly’s class materials and asked, “You mind if we just chat for awhile? I could use some time to decompress before hitting the books.”

“That’s a great idea,” Waverly replied as she closed her book, set her notebook on top, and slid them toward the wall.

They chatted about nothing much, sipping their drinks as they went. Nicole asked Waverly how her classes were going; Waverly inquired about Nicole’s afternoon at the gun range. In a conspiratorial tone, Nicole divulged that Jimmy liked to listen to Taylor Swift while they practiced. Nicole shared a few more amusing anecdotes about her roommate.

“You two seem very close," Waverly observed.

“Yeah, he’s like the annoying, stinky, overly confident brother I never had.”  Nicole smiled.

“Do you have any actual siblings?”

“A younger sister. She’s in college too, back east.”

“Are you close?”

“We used to be, but she’s got a lot going on right now so we don’t talk as much these days You know how college is.”

“And your parents?”

“Frankly, I haven’t talked to them in years." Nicole’s voice trailed off and her eyes drifted down. She started fidgeting with one of her rings.

Waverly felt immediately guilty for going down this road at all. She reached out and stilled Nicole’s hands with one of her own, then absentmindedly ran her thumb across Nicole’s healing wound. Nicole looked up, her eyes wide. Waverly looked away shyly and withdrew her hand.

“Sorry.” It was unclear even to Waverly what she was apologizing for -- being nosy or that touch. Maybe both? “I didn’t mean to pry. Trust me, I know a thing or two about complicated family dynamics.”

Nicole cracked a small smile. “Oh yeah?”

“I don’t even know where to start.” Waverly explained how her mom abandoned them when she was little and her dad died a few years later (though Waverly was intentionally vague on the details of his death). She mentioned how her oldest sister went missing and then her other sister Wynonna spent a few years in a mental institution as a teenager.

“Shit.” Nicole let out a low whistle. “You make my family life sound like the Brady Bunch. How awful. With all of that, how are you . . . you?”

Waverly cheeks reddened. “I’ve still got a decent support system. My Uncle Curtis and Aunt Gus raised me after my dad died. My boss Shorty is a gem. And when she’s around, Wynonna is a great sister. But she’s got her own demons to deal with.”  

Nicole looked at her with a sympathetic gaze. Waverly got lost in her brown eyes for a moment, then looked away awkwardly. “Sorry, I wasn’t trying to upstage you or anything. I just don’t get to talk about it very often.” She wasn't sure what to say next so she popped up out of the booth. “I could use another drink. Get you one?”

Nicole nodded and asked for a chamomile tea.  

While she waited in line, Waverly realized she hadn’t talked about her family that much in years. In Purgatory, everyone knew the Earp story, or at least thought they did, so there wasn’t much to tell. Sometimes she would overhear people talking about her family, usually Wynonna. She would either walk away or just act like she hadn’t heard. But confiding in Nicole felt natural, easy, though unsettling in a way. She felt like Nicole could see through her cheerful veneer, that she could sense the loneliness that bubbled just beneath the surface. She didn't feel judged, exactly, just a little exposed in a way that was unfamiliar. 

Waverly looked back at the booth. Nicole was rooting through her book bag. Waverly smiled to herself. _She’s a good listener._

A nudge at her back snapped her back to the present. “You’re next,” said the older lady who was waiting behind her. Waverly apologized and went up to order.

She returned to the booth a few minutes later with tea for both of them, and they agreed it was time to study. Waverly started in on her anthropology reading for Thursday.  Nicole flipped through some sort of manual and made notations on a set of notecards, then she started going through a full stack of notecards, one by one.  Waverly pretended to read as she surreptitiously observed Nicole flip through the first dozen cards or so. She noticed how Nicole bit her lip as she was thinking, how she would either nod approvingly or shake her head after flipping over the card to read the answer.

“If you’re gonna watch me do this, you mind helping?” Nicole looked up with a playfully accusatory look.

“Sorry.” Waverly held up her hands in apology. “And sure, hand me that stack.”

“Thanks, but I warn you, this stuff is pretty boring -- just lots of procedures and regulations regarding preservation of evidence and chain of custody.”

“I actually think that sounds interesting.” Waverly shuffled the cards. “What are the stakes?”

“You mean other than whether I pass or not?”

“In my family, you don’t play cards without stakes.” Waverly eyed the stack. “What are there, about 50 cards here?” Nicole nodded. “How about if you miss more than five, I get to pick what we’re doing on Thursday after class. And if you miss five or less, you get to pick.”

Nicole smirked. “Thursday, huh? What if I have a hot date that night?”

 _Oh shit_. “Do you?” Waverly tried to ask nonchalantly. She took a sip of her tea to hide her reddening cheeks.

“Nah, that’s Friday,” Nicole said as she turned her body and extended her long legs the length of the booth, her expression hard to read. “Anyway, I accept.” She leaned back against the wall, with her hands behind her head. “Bring it.”

One-by-one, they worked through Nicole’s stack of notecards: Waverly calling out the front, Nicole answering, Waverly checking that answer against the back of the card. Nicole was breezing through -- she only missed one out of the first thirty or so. Waverly read out the next card and skimmed the back as Nicole answered.

“Close enough,” said Waverly and she placed the card on the tall stack.

“Close enough? Don’t go easy on me, Waverly. I need to know this stuff front and back. Put that in the ‘wrong’ pile.”

“Okay, if you insist.”

They continued. A few cards later, Waverly nodded along as Nicole spoke and then silently placed the card in the ‘right’ pile.

“Did I really get that one? Let me see that card.” Nicole grabbed it off the stack and checked the answer side. “Huh, I guess I did. Felt wrong as I said it.” She tossed it back onto the pile.

Out of the next dozen cards, Nicole went on bad streak, missing four. One card remained. Waverly held it up dramatically. “Okay, this is for all the marbles.”

Nicole swung her legs back under the table, giving Waverly her full attention. Waverly read the final card slowly and turned it over. Nicole paused. She started to answer, then stopped. She turned her head sideways, exhaling slowly.

“I don’t know.”

Waverly cocked an eyebrow.  Nicole hadn’t whiffed completely on a single card, all her errors had been minor -- inverting numbers in a regulation or missing a step in a chain-of-custody procedure.  

“You have no idea whatsoever? Come on, Nicole.”

“Really -- no idea. I swear,” Nicole replied, holding up her right hand. “Will you read me the answer?”

Waverly hesitated and narrowed her eyes at Nicole, who looked back innocently. _She’s too competitive to throw this, right?_ Waverly read the answer. Nicole put her forehead down on the table in disgust.

“So where are we going on Thursday?” Nicole muttered, her head still on the table.

Waverly had been thinking about this as the stack of cards had dwindled. “The history museum!”  

Nicole chuckled into the table then sat up. She was smiling wide, her dimples on full display. “The history museum it is.”  

“You take losing better than I thought you would.”  

“Make no mistake, Waverly, I _hate_ to lose.” Nicole stood up and grabbed her empty mug. She came over to Waverly’s side of the booth and leaned over the table, bracing herself with her free hand. “But this was a no-lose situation.” She hovered just above Waverly, their faces inches apart. Waverly held her breath. “Because no matter what, I was getting to see you on Thursday.” She gave Waverly a quick smile, then in one graceful motion, plucked Waverly’s empty mug of the table, turned, and walked away.

Waverly flushed bright red and her pulse raced. She watched Nicole strut over to where patrons put their empty dishes, add their two mugs, then disappear to the back of the shop. Waverly took a deep breath and distracted herself with organizing her school materials. She was slipping her books into her tote bag when Nicole returned.

“You taking off?” Nicole asked, with obvious disappointment.

“I need to get going. The drive is over and hour, and I’m working the early shift tomorrow.” Waverly collected the notecards and bound them with a rubberband Nicole had dropped on the table earlier. She handed the stack over. “I put the ones you missed on top, if you want to go over those again.” 

“Thanks. That was fun, by the way. Better than quizzing myself.”

“You don’t study with Jimmy?”

Nicole chuckled. “Hell no. We tried that back in college. Our study habits are too different.” She started putting her things back in her backpack. “How about a quick bite before you leave? There’s a decent pizza place around the corner that sells by the slice.”

Waverly hesitated before saying, “Okay, yeah. I am a little hungry.”

After they finished packing their bags, they headed for the pizza place. They eyed their options and ordered a couple slices each. Nicole paid, over Waverly’s protestations. They ate at the counter, quickly and in silence, a light tension still simmering between them. Nicole polished off her slice first, and turned on her stool toward Waverly.

“Look, about earlier -- I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.” Waverly was mid-bite. A piece of cheese stretched from her pizza to her mouth and then snapped, landing on her cheek.

They both smiled. Waverly plucked the errant cheese off her cheek and ate it. Nicole resumed her serious tone. “I’m pretty sure you know I’m into girls, and I know you -- well, I know you have a boyfriend, and I respect that. But sometimes it’s hard to resist flirting with a beautiful girl, and you are . . .”  

Nicole faced the counter again as her voice trailed off. Waverly saw the hint of a blush on her cheeks.

She leaned toward Nicole ever so slightly. “I am what?” She couldn't quite believe she said that out loud.

Nicole remained facing forward but tilted her head and met Waverly’s eyes. “You are _so_ _very beautiful_ , Waverly Earp.”  

Waverly could see the admission cost Nicole a little something, exposing the tiniest crack in Nicole’s cool and confident persona. And it gave Waverly a hint of power over the other girl that was a little unsettling. Waverly was still trying to figure out what to say when Nicole decided to fill the silence.  

“So if you want to skip the museum on Thursday, I totally understand.”  

Waverly finally found her voice. “Hey now - a bet’s a bet. You’d better be there.” She playfully punched Nicole in the shoulder.

Nicole beamed. “Wouldn’t miss it.”


	4. Sweat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to DangerouslyCasualAttitude for inspiring me to write a slighter better fic summary.
> 
> Also, big thanks to lflorez21_haught for the helpful suggestions with this chapter.

“You are _so_ _very_ _beautiful_ , Waverly.”  

For the next two days, Waverly replayed that moment over and over in her head.  It was very flattering, of course. Who wouldn’t want to be called very beautiful? But was that all she felt, flattered?

And she thought about the person who had said it. She admired Nicole’s confidence and ambition and enjoyed her intelligence and good humor. Waverly also wasn’t blind to Nicole’s own beauty, her lovely pale skin, shockingly red hair, deep dimples, and those long, lean legs. It was her eyes, though, that really drew Waverly in. She felt seen, truly seen, when Nicole looked at her. But she wasn’t sure if what she was feeling was part of the excitement of having an interesting new friend in a new city or something more.

These thoughts were still churning in her mind as she waited for Nicole on the steps of the museum. She saw Nicole the instant she came around the corner, her red hair was hard to miss. Waverly noticed that Nicole was dressed up a little -- her hair was dry and styled, she was wearing ankle boots with her jeans instead of sneakers, and she was wearing a cream blazer over a red shirt. It was a good look on her.

They spent nearly two hours in the exhibition. Waverly looked at every artifact and read every sign available. Nicole moved more quickly around each room, and then she would rejoin Waverly. Occasionally, Nicole would point out something interesting that she’d seen that Waverly hadn’t gotten to yet, or Waverly would share a relevant fun fact about ancient Egyptian life that she’d read about. But mostly they moved through the exhibit in companionable silence.

After they finished the exhibition, they grabbed dinner at a nearby Greek restaurant. As they waited on their food, Nicole kept using her phone to look up more information on what they had seen, which alleviated any doubt Waverly had about whether Nicole had been bored at the museum. It was a nice change of pace, spending time with someone in this way, someone interested in the world. She couldn’t even get Champ to watch the Discovery Channel, let alone visit a museum.

As they were settling up, Nicole’s phone rang. She glanced at the screen. “Sorry, but I should probably take this. Meet you outside?”

Waverly nodded. Nicole picked up the call. “Hello, sir. Yes, sir, I have a few minutes to talk.” She got up from the table and walked away. Waverly gathered her things and went to the bathroom.

Nicole was walking back toward the restaurant as Waverly exited. “Can I give you a ride home?” Waverly asked.

“That would be great,” Nicole responded with a grateful tone. “My feet are a little sore. These boots were probably a mistake.”

Waverly started walking in the direction of her car. “Well if it’s any consolation, they look great. You look great tonight.” _Oh dear_. Waverly felt a blush coming on and looked down. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Nicole smile, though she said nothing.

xxxxx

The next Tuesday, Waverly and Nicole again met at Figaro’s for a couple hours. They both had tests on Thursday so they mostly studied in silence. Afterwards, they grabbed a slice of pizza. As they sat the counter, their conversation from the previous week echoed in Waverly’s head.  

_It’s hard to resist flirting with a beautiful girl, and you are_ so very beautiful _, Waverly Earp_.

Since that moment, Nicole seemed to be in full resistance mode. She was still friendly and thoughtful, but her edgy confidence was gone. Even when Waverly tried to lure Nicole in with a suggestive comment or flirty wink, Nicole wouldn’t take the bait. Not even over text. She was like a blunted knife.

Nicole leaned over. “Didn't you want to be on the road by 8? It’s ten-til.”

“Oh gosh, thanks for the reminder. I promised Gus I would come in for a couple hours tonight to help with inventory.” They discarded their trash, gathered their bags, and left.

“Are you free on Thursday after school?” Waverly asked tentatively as they walked to her Jeep. “Or do you have a date that night?” She masked the question with a playful grin. She was curious about Nicole’s dating life but didn’t want to seem nosy. Nicole never brought up the subject. Of course, Waverly never really mentioned Champ either.

“A date on a Thursday? No, real dates are on weekends. Now a Tinder date? Maybe.” Nicole expression was unreadable. Just like the week before, Waverly couldn't tell whether she was serious. There was so much to unpack that Waverly fell silent.

Plans for Thursday remained unresolved when they arrived at the Jeep. As Waverly rooted around in her bag for her keys, Nicole suggested they return to the museum to check out the permanent exhibits.

“No, let’s do something else. You decide this time.”

“Okay. I’ll have to think about that and get back to you. Drive safe.” Nicole waited for Waverly to start her car before waving goodbye and heading back down the street.

Hours later, Waverly and Gus were in the basement under Shorty’s, sorting through boxes of paper goods and liquor when Waverly felt her phone buzz.  It was Nicole.  

> **[Sent at 11:18 PM:]** Got an idea for Thursday if you’re up for getting a little sweaty.

Waverly typed out a quick reply.

> **[Waverly:]** You think you can make me sweat? ;)

The three dots lingered on Waverly’s screen for what felt like an eternity. She stared intently at her phone until Nicole’s response came through. 

> **[Nicole:]** I’ll take that as a yes. Let’s meet at your car at 5, just send me a pin after you park. Bring workout clothes -- yoga stuff is fine.

_A blunted knife, indeed._

“Can you give me a hand over here?” Gus growled as she hefted a box of bourbon.  

“Sorry.” Waverly slid her phone back into her pocket and got back to work.

xxxxx

Waverly’s midterm on Thursday was right before she met up with Nicole. She wasn’t sure which one she was more anxious about. (Who was she kidding? She was ready for the test and hated surprises. It was no contest.) After she turned in her exam book, Waverly sped out of the lecture hall and to the parking lot.

As she approached her Jeep, Waverly saw Nicole leaning against tailgate, with a large duffle bag at her feet. Nicole was already in athletic gear - black yoga pants, colorful trainers, and a Big City Police Academy windbreaker. She was holding a couple smoothies.

Nicole moved out of the way so Waverly could open the tailgate. Waverly tossed in her tote, and then bent down for the duffle. “I can get that, Wave,” said Nicole.

_Wave_? Waverly smirked as she lifted the bag and hoisted it into the Jeep. “I may be small, but I’m strong.”

“Good. You’ll need that where we’re going.”

Waverly put her hands on her hips. “And are you going to tell me where that is?”

“You’ll see when we get there.” Nicole held up the two smoothies. “Thought we should get an energy boost on the way. You want strawberry banana or green passion fruit?”

Waverly opted for the latter and took a sip. “Tasty. Thanks. So are you going to navigate for me or -- ?”

“Actually, mind if I just drive?” Waverly handed over her keys without protest.

They drove out of the urban core and ended up in a semi-industrial area that appeared to mostly contain warehouses. After 20 minutes of anticipation, they pulled into the parking lot of a tall building with corrugated metal siding. There was no sign, so while Nicole maneuvered the Jeep into an available parking space, Waverly searched for clues. She spied two people walking out the door along the front of the building. Both had some sort of harness slung over the one shoulder.

Nicole turned off the engine and was setting the parking brake when Waverly grabbed her right arm and exclaimed, “Rock climbing!”

Nicole smiled. “Climbing? Yes. Rocks? Not really - but close. You said you’d never climbed so I thought you might like to try it.”

They grabbed their bags from the back of the Jeep. “There’s a locker room inside where you can change,” Nicole explained as she closed the tailgate and locked up the car.  

“Will I need to rent some equipment?”  

“I’ve got you.” Nicole patted the duffle and started walked toward the door. “Borrowed some stuff from Bea.”

The inside of the building was dominated by a large climbing wall that nearly reached the ceiling. There was a shorter wall to the side that was being used by a few children under the watchful eye of their parents.  Nicole pointed out the locker room in the corner and suggested Waverly go change while she checked them in.

When Waverly emerged, she found Nicole over near the wall, examining a climbing harness. She had shed the windbreaker, revealing a bright green sports bra, little of which was concealed by the loose BCPA tank top Nicole wore over it. Waverly knew Nicole had to be strong, with all the PT they did as cadets, but she was still a little surprised by how defined some of the muscles were along Nicole’s shoulders and back.  

“Does this work?” Nicole looked up as Waverly held out her arms for inspection.  Her outfit was something she might wear to yoga class -- bright, garish stretch pants, a matching sports bra, and a grey t-shirt (“Purgatory Cheerleading”) with the sleeves cut off and the extra material knotted at the her lower back, pulling the shirt taut over her chest and leaving a couple inches of her abdomen exposed between the bottom of the shirt and the top of her pants.  Her arms and stomach were her best features and she wasn’t shy about showing them off when the opportunity presented itself. She had braided her hair so it fell down her left shoulder.

Nicole’s eyes widened ever-so-slightly as she scanned Waverly, but all she said was, “Yup, that’ll do.” Nicole handed her a pair of the shoes and a piece of paper and pen. “Try these, and sign this.”

After Waverly signed the waiver, she switched into the climbing shoes as Nicole put on her own harness. Then Nicole helped Waverly slip into the other one she had brought. “Bear with me. You’re the same height as Bea but a little smaller so I’m going to have make some adjustments to get it fitting right.” Nicole knelt in front of her, pulling at the adjustable tabs, checking the snugness of the various straps as she went. It felt intimate, but Nicole seemed to be all business.  

“Can you turn around, please?” Waverly obliged. Nicole made a couple quick adjustments in the back. “Okay, I think that’s good.”

Waverly spun back around. Nicole was standing again.

“How does it feel? Too tight anywhere? Too loose?” Waverly bit her lip and shook her head.

“Alright, let me explain all the equipment and we’ll go over some safety stuff.”

For the next fifteen minutes, Nicole explained some of the basics, such as the various parts of the harness, how belaying worked, and what would happened if Waverly lost her grip on the wall. Waverly listened attentively. Nicole spoke in a warm but authoritative tone that was new to Waverly. Waverly imagined this is what Nicole would be like as a cop.

“Any questions so far?”  

Waverly shook her head so they went over to the easiest part of the main wall, and Nicole demonstrated a few techniques -- keeping your hips close to the wall, pushing with your legs, edging on a hold with your shoes  She discussed weight adjustment and route strategy.  She had Waverly climb a couple feet off the floor without a rope, just to get used to the feel of the grips on her hands and feet. Finally, Nicole asked if she was ready to give it a try.

“Can I watch you do a climb first?”

Nicole smiled. “Absolutely. Grab us some waters out of the bag, and I’ll go find someone to belay for me.” She returned a few minutes later with a guy named Toby, who was short but had broad shoulders and impressive calves. He and Nicole were clearly familiar with one another.

Nicole selected a route in the middle of the wall, and she and Toby got hooked up to the appropriate rope. Nicole took a swig of water as she eyed the wall. As Nicole climbed, Waverly stood next to Toby.  He talked her through some of the things Nicole was doing, explaining the adjustments she made to keep her center of gravity or decisions she made about her route. As Nicole maneuvered up the wall, Waverly was mesmerized by her concentration, grace, and strength.

After climbing successfully navigating an inverted part of the wall, Nicole stopped to shake out her arms.

“Cramps,” said Toby.

Then Nicole made a final push, reached the top, and rang the bell that was waiting for her. Other patrons of the gym hollered reflexively. Toby slowly lowered her down. When Nicole touched back down, Waverly was surprised how sweaty she was.  She had made it look fairly effortless. Waverly handed Nicole a water bottle as Toby unhooked her from the rope.  She took took a long swig.  

“Your turn?”

Waverly nodded anxiously. They moved down to the easiest section of the wall.  Nicole asked Toby to belay again. He prepared the rope as Nicole double checked Waverly’s harness.  “This first time, get about 10-12 feet up, and then we’re going to try a practice fall, okay?  Now this is top-rope climbing and Toby’s a pro, but I want you to be familiar with what it feels like when you fall because that’s a part of climbing, especially when you’re learning. You need to trust the rope.”

“Trust the rope,” Waverly repeated. Toby checked the rope one last time and then gave her a nod. Nicole walked her over to the wall and gave her a few suggestions on where to start, and Waverly started to climb. She maneuvered up the first few holds quite easily.

Then she heard Nicole call out. “Okay, let’s try that fall. Lean your shoulders back and then let go.”  

Waverly took a deep breath, did as Nicole instructed, and fell. But of course she didn’t really fall -- her body dropped a couple inches and then the harness and rope caught her.” Toby lowered her to the ground.

“Feel okay?” Nicole asked.

Waverly declined looked determinedly back at the wall. “I want to go again, and see how high I can get.” She heard Nicole let out a soft chuckle and felt a reassuring pat on her shoulder. Waverly looked back at Toby, who gave her a nod, and she climbed.

It took her three attempts, but Waverly finally reached the top. She got to ring the bell and hear the cheers. As Toby lowered her slowly, she pumped her fist. Her body dripped with sweat and coursed with adrenalin. Once her feet were back firmly on the ground, Waverly saw Nicole beaming at her. She waited for Toby to release her from the rope. Once free, she took two steps, grabbed Nicole around the waist and pulled her in for a hug.

Nicole seemed to have been caught off guard but wrapped her arms around Waverly in return. “You did it,” she mutterred in Waverly’s ear. “I knew you could.”

It was by far the most physical contact they’d had since that first night at The Bullhorn, and it sent another wave of adrenaline surging through Waverly. After a couple beats, Nicole leaned back slightly, creating a bit of space between them. She looked down at Waverly and said quietly, “I knew I could too.”

Waverly met her gaze with narrowed eyes. “Could what?”

Nicole raised her right hand to Waverly’s face, gently sweeping a damp strand of hair off her forehead. She licked her lips and then said no louder than a whisper. “That I could make you sweat.”

Waverly found herself holding her breath, waiting. But Nicole let her go, backed away, and the moment was over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are my own, including any about climbing. It's been years since I've done it.


	5. Complications

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly seems to be figuring things out, but a complication arrives on the scene. We have reached the angst part of the program. Apologies?

 

Waverly was still humming with adrenaline during their drive back downtown, but Nicole barely spoke, other than to tell Waverly the name of the Thai place she liked and what she wanted to eat. Waverly called in their order, and they rode in almost complete silence.

After they picked up their food, they found a bench down the street from the restaurant and ate hungrily. Nicole held her carton out, silently offering Waverly a bite of her drunken noodles. Waverly hooked a few noodles with her chopsticks and slurped them down.

“That’s good. Try a bit of mine?” She offered, holding out her own carton.

“Sure.” Nicole speared some of Waverly’s tofu curry. A few seconds after she swallowed, Nicole’s eyes got big. “Whew, that’s spicy.” She took a swig of her water.

“Sorry, should have warned you.” Waverly took another bite before adding, “Thank you for this evening, Nicole. It was really great.”

“You _did_ great. You're a quick study. But I’ll warn you -- you’ll probably be pretty sore tomorrow. You’re obviously in great shape but climbing taxes your muscles differently than something like yoga.”  

Waverly glanced over and said with a smile, “Glad you noticed.” But Nicole kept her eyes on her food. After they finished eating, Waverly dropped Nicole off at her building and headed back to Purgatory in a state of confusion. But by the time she got home, Waverly had decided it was time to stop waiting.

xxxxx

They didn’t see each other the next Tuesday. Nicole was out of town so Waverly returned to Purgatory straight after class. She had plans with Champ for dinner. He was running late, as usual, so Waverly went downstairs to have a drink at Shorty’s while she waited. After she settled in at the bar, she sent a quick text to Nicole.

> **[Sent by Waverly at 7:12 PM:]** You back in the Big City yet? How’d your interview go?

Nicole did not immediately respond. Waverly ordered a drink from Tracey. She was about halfway through her whiskey when her phone pinged.

> **[Sent by Nicole at 7:27 PM:]** Yup. I thought it went well. I liked the boss man but not sure it’s the right fit for me.
> 
> **[Waverly:]** Where is this job, anyway?
> 
> **[Nicole:]** I’ll tell you details if anything comes of it. This was just an informal interview. I’d still serve at least six months in the Big City after graduation either way.

Waverly was glad to hear that last part. She asked whether they could go climbing again on Thursday, but Nicole reminded her that was the day of the lecture at the museum that Waverly had been interested in. Waverly found it sweet that Nicole had remembered. She had only mentioned it once in passing, and they hadn’t spoken about it since. As excited as she was to climb again, she knew there’d be other opportunities. They were sorting out the details via text when Champ finally arrived. Waverly put her phone away.

_No more waiting._

xxxxx

The lecture didn’t start until six so Nicole and Waverly planned to meet at the cafe in the courtyard of the museum for refreshments beforehand. Waverly was running a little late already and the coat-check line was long, so by the time she made it to the courtyard, Nicole was already sitting at a table in the far corner, her back to Waverly. Waverly appraised her outfit one last time and smoothed down her hair before starting to make her way over to Nicole.

As she was walking over, a mocha-skinned woman stopped at Nicole’s table, causing Waverly to slow her progress. After Nicole stood, the other woman gave her a peck on the cheek and a little hug. Then she said something, eliciting a laugh and smile from Nicole. Nicole suddenly turned and glanced in Waverly’s direction and spotted her. Nicole frowned a little. As Waverly snaked her way through the rest of the tables, she took in this other woman. She was, in a word, gorgeous -- tall and slim with a sleek pixie cut of black hair and dark eyes.  

“Waverly, there you are,” Nicole said with a tight smile. “This is Shae. She’s uh, well -- she goes to medical school with Jimmy’s girlfriend. Shae, this is Waverly.”

Shae gave Nicole an odd look but quickly smiled and held out her hand. She was wearing a navy, long-sleeved dress with elaborate gold stitching. The hemline was distractingly short. Waverly fought the urge to ask Shae where she got the dress as they shook hands.

“Pleasure to meet you, Waverly.”  She looked over at Nicole. There was an awkward silence before Shae added, “I’ve got to run, but maybe I’ll see you after the lecture.” As she glided away, Waverly’s eyes remained on Nicole, who was fidgeting with one of her earrings.

“Soooo, should we get coffee?” Waverly suggested.

Nicole snapped out of her daze and replied, “Yes, of course. Just coffee or would you like something fancier?”  

“Coffee’s fine. Thank you.”

When Nicole returned with their drinks, she seemed back to normal.  She asked Waverly about the bar fight at Shorty’s on Saturday night that Waverly had mentioned during one of their text exchanges. Waverly regaled her with the tale of two rodeo clowns -- still in full makeup -- who had a run-in with an elderly gang of bikers. The clean up had not been pleasant -- the clowns’ make-up was surprising hard to wash off the tables and floor, and Waverly had found a red clown nose and not one, but two, sets of dentures. She showed Nicole a couple of the pictures she’d taken of the aftermath with her phone. Nicole laughed so hard she started tearing up. Waverly was about to update her on other current events in Purgatory when they realized it was time to go.

The lecture was being held in a small auditorium off the atrium. The speaker was one of the curators of the collection from which the bulk of the Ancient Egypt exhibition had been pulled. The event was well attended -- mostly by the 50-and-over crowd but there was a smattering of young attendees, including a group of students from the university. Nicole and Waverly found seats on the left near the front.  As they got settled, Waverly noticed that Shae was sitting a few rows behind them.

A rotund man with a microphone came onto the stage, and the crowd quieted down.  He gave a short introduction for the speaker, who then joined him on stage. The speaker was fascinating, or at least Waverly thought so, and quite funny. Behind him, a giant screen displayed various artifacts, some they had seen in the exhibition and others that were still in Egypt. Waverly occasionally leaned over and would whisper to Nicole about some of the remarks or remind her of a piece they had seen. She noticed Nicole smelled particularly nice.

After the speaker’s remarks and a round of applause, Nicole and Waverly slowly filed out with the rest of the crowd.

“What’d you think??”

“He’s an awesome speaker. I’m glad we came.” Nicole checked her phone. “Jimmy’s at The Bullhorn. His girlfriend’s in town. But since we’re looking fancy I’d be fine skipping out and  heading somewhere nicer.” Nicole returned her phone to her pocket and added, “I forgot to say earlier that you look really nice.”

Waverly _had_ dressed up a little more for this museum visit. She was wearing maroon tights under a lacy black pencil skirt and a silky cream blouse that was just sheer enough to be suggestive but not so sheer as to be indecent. And she’d left her long brunette locks completely loose for once.

“Thanks. I like that sweater. The color really suits you.”

Nicole kept her eyes forward but smiled. When they reached the atrium, Nicole suggested a nearby wine bar.

“Nah, let’s go play some pool. And I’d like to meet the girl who would put up with Jimmy’s corny jokes.”

Nicole smiled. “Alright then. Did you check your coat?”

“Yeah, but I should probably use the bathroom before we go.”

“I’ll get our coats. Ticket?” Waverly fished her ticket out of her purse and handed it over.

When Waverly returned to the atrium, she scanned the room for Nicole, finally spotting her leaning against one of the large pillars near the entrance. Her back was to Waverly, and she was holding Waverly’s trench coat under one arm. As Waverly approached, she realized that Nicole was talking to Shae. Thanks to the odd acoustics of the marble atrium, Waverly could hear their conversation as she drew nearer.

“So you’re going to museum lectures now? I could never get you to go to something like this when we were together.”

Waverly raised her eyebrows. _Together?_ It explained the awkward moment in the cafe. Waverly was a little miffed that Nicole hadn’t mentioned that Shae was her ex.

“Yeah, well that was two years ago. I’ve grown up a little,” she heard Nicole reply.

“I’m sure you have. That pretty girl you’re with have anything to do with it? Where’d you pick her up anyway?”

“I didn’t ‘pick her up’ anywhere. Waverly and I are just friends. She’s got a boyfriend.”

Waverly made a mental note to talk to Nicole about that.

“Well in that case, we should hang out this weekend while I’m in town, catch up. It’s been awhile.”

Waverly decided it was time to make her presence known. As she circled around the pillar, she saw just how close Shae and Nicole were standing. Nicole saw Waverly first and straightened up and retreated from Shae a little.

“There you are, Waves. Ready to go?” Nicole held out Waverly’s coat.

Waverly took her coat and put it on. Then she glanced at Shae, who was giving Waverly a blank look. “It was nice to meet you,” Waverly said as she snaked her arm through Nicole’s. The two of them walked out of the museum arm-in-arm.

xxxxx

The Bullhorn was hopping as usual. Nicole’s fellow cadets were over by the pool tables. Jimmy was sitting at one of the high-tops, his arm around a pretty black girl. Nicole had gone to the bar to order drinks so Waverly walked over and joined them. Jimmy gave her a big hug and introduced her to his girlfriend Edie.

Waverly knew that Jimmy, Edie, and Nicole had all gone to college together. Edie was now a medical student in Vancouver. She was about Waverly’s height, wore her curly black hair loose, and had dark brown eyes. Waverly was telling them about the lecture when Nicole finally arrived with drinks. She handed Waverly her whiskey and sat a pitcher of beer on the table. Edie enveloped Nicole in a big hug.

“I ordered some chicken nachos,” Nicole mentioned as she sat down. “I’m starving, and I figured you’d be hungry too.” Waverly nodded gratefully.

Edie asked Waverly where she was living, and she explained about her commute from Purgatory.

“Purgatory? Isn’t that where -- “ Edie said, shifting her eyes to Nicole.

“Pool!” Nicole jumped up from the table. “Jimmy, you up for a game?” She gave Edie a look as she walked away. Jimmy topped off his beer and followed Nicole over to the nearest table.

Waverly scooped up a chip. “So you’ve heard of Purgatory?”

“I thought Nicole mentioned it the other day. Could’ve heard wrong,” Edie replied a little unconvincingly.

“She and some of the cadets went climbing near Purgatory a few weeks ago.”

“That must have been it,” Edie replied. They chatted for a few minutes about medical school and Vancouver as they watched Jimmy and Nicole play pool. At one point, Nicole was lining up a shot across from Waverly, leaning over the table. The neck of her sweater was drooping just so, revealing a just a bit of her bra. Nicole glanced up and caught Waverly staring. Nicole refocused but missed her shot. She walked over to the table just as Edie was leaving to get everyone another round.

“Just realized I abandoned you with a stranger. Kind of an asshole move. I can concede if you want.”

“No, it’s fine. Edie seems really nice.” They watched as Jimmy ran the rest of the table, making the issue a moot point. Edie returned with the drinks, and she and Jimmy started a game, leaving Nicole and Waverly alone once again. They plucked at the nachos in silence.

“You’ve been a little quiet since the museum,” Nicole remarked. “Everything okay?”

“Just a lot going on right now. Tests coming up. Haven’t heard from my sister in awhile,” Waverly responded vaguely. Nicole looked at her with serious eyes. Waverly took another sip of liquid courage. “And I’ve been meaning to tell you about --”

“Ladies! Fancy seeing you here.” They both turned to see Shae standing behind them.

xxxxx

Waverly awoke to the sound of a creaking door. She propped herself up on her elbows and squinted as the room around her slowly came into focus. She was alone in a double-sized bed, underneath a purple comforter. Well, not entirely alone. An orange cat purred on the pillow next to her. The rest of the bed looked undisturbed. A clock on the nightstand said it was just after 7. Next to it, Waverly noticed a handwritten note.

> _Out for a run._
> 
> ~N

Atop the note sat a glass of water and two aspirin.  Waverly grabbed the glass, sat up, and leaned against the headboard, trying to remember how she had gotten here. _In Nicole’s bed._ Waverly glanced down. She was still in her tights but wearing a police academy t-shirt. _In her clothes?_

She remembered Shae showing up at The Bullhorn -- all smiles and legs and gorgeous eyes that she couldn’t keep off Nicole. She recalled a silent exchange between Nicole and Edie as Shae pulled up a chair -- Nicole with a furrowed brow and Edie shaking her head.

It turned out Shae was visiting family in the Big City and had hitched a ride to town with Edie. They were classmates in Vancouver, and as best Waverly could tell, sort of friends. Jimmy was outwardly pleasant toward her, though Waverly picked up on an odd undercurrent between them. They all reminisced a bit about undergrad before Shae told them all about a recent climbing trip that she’d gone on near Squamish.

“You remember that trip we took to Jackson Hole?” She was looking at Nicole, who nodded. “Reminded me of that climb. I was sore for days after, and unfortunately, I didn’t have my personal masseuse with me this time.” Waverly saw Shae wink at Nicole as she said it.

Waverly stood up. “I’m hitting the bar. Anyone else need?” Nicole gave Waverly a look. Jimmy decided to go with Waverly.

As they waited on their drinks, Waverly and Jimmy leaned against the bar and looked back to where the other girls were sitting.

“So they used to date, huh?” Waverly asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

Jimmy gave her a sidelong glance before responding, “Yeah, back when we were in college.”

“Seems like they’re still friendly, though.”

“I think they talk sometimes. They didn’t for awhile.”

“Why?” Waverly pressed. Their drinks arrived.

Jimmy started to say something but stopped. After a moment, he just said, “That’s a question for Nicole.”

They headed back to the table with the drinks, and someone suggested darts. They had an odd number so Jimmy bowed out and found some of the other cadets. The girls played doubles, mixing up the teams each time. Waverly noticed that Shae would frequently touch Nicole or lean in close to whisper in her ear. Nicole didn’t appear to be openly flirting back, but she didn’t seem turned off by the attention either.

Between games, Edie and Shae went to get another round of drinks. Nicole sidled up to Waverly. “You sure about another drink?” She asked. “I know you’ve got to drive home later. And we haven’t had much to eat.”

“I’m fine.” Waverly’s tone was a little harder than she had intended so she quickly added. “Liquor improves my darts game.”

“Well you can always crash on our couch if you need to. I’ve fallen asleep on it more times than I’d like to admit, and it’s pretty comfy.”

“Good to know. Thanks.” Waverly downed the rest of her drink in one go.

“Are you still interested in going to the Outlaws game with us in a few weeks? Jimmy’s brother is hooking us up with tickets, but we need a headcount soon.”

“That’s on a Saturday night, right?” Nicole nodded. “I’ll have to switch shifts but count me in.”

xxxxx

The conversation with Nicole about the basketball game was the last thing Waverly could recall with any clarity. After that, it was a hazy mix of darts and drinks.

She slipped out of bed and went into the adjoining bathroom. After using the toilet and washing her hands, she splashed some water on her face and took a look in the mirror. Waverly didn’t feel hungover, but she definitely looked it.

There was a light knock on the door. “Waves?”

It was Nicole. Waverly said she’d be right out. When she exited the bathroom a minute later, she was still feeling a little out of sorts.

Nicole was sitting on the edge of the bed, unlacing her running shoes. After slipping them off, Nicole stood but kept her eyes down. “If you’re done in that bathroom, I’d love to hop in the shower. I thought maybe we could go get breakfast. I don’t have class until 9.”

Waverly nodded vaguely and stepped toward the bed, making room for Nicole to pass. Nicole scooted by but paused in the doorway and turned.

“If you’re looking for your cell phone, it’s on the dresser, charging.” Nicole gestured to the other side of the room. “I hope you don’t mind, but I texted your aunt to let her know you were staying here. Didn’t want her to worry.” Nicole pulled her own cell phone out of the band around her arm and finally made eye contact with Waverly. She handed her phone to Waverly. “Would you mind plugging mine in?”

“Sure,” Waverly replied quietly.

Nicole gave her a little smile and retreated into the bathroom. After Waverly heard the shower come on, she crossed the room and checked her phone. She had a couple barely comprehensible texts from Champ that she hoped Nicole hadn’t seen, and she saw the text Nicole had sent to Gus.

As she plugged Nicole’s phone into the charger, a text arrived.

> **[Sent by Shae at 7:25 AM:]** Can’t wait to see you tonight. And that magic tongue of yours. ;)

Waverly dropped the phone on the dresser like it was molten lava.  She backed up and sat down on the bed.

 _I need to get out of here_.

Waverly scanned the room and saw her skirt and blouse were neatly draped over the back of a chair in the corner of the room and her shoes and purse were on the floor underneath.  She spotted her necklace and earrings on the dresser. She quickly changed out of the t-shirt and into her own clothes, threw her jewelry and phone into her purse, and grabbed her shoes. She heard the water turn off and the metallic sound of rings scraping across the curtain rod as she exited the bedroom.  

She found herself in a living room with two large windows. She didn’t remember it at all.  Turning, she saw a small kitchen area flanked by a narrow hall with a door at the end. She shuffled quickly but quietly down the hall, still carrying her shoes. Just as she was about to shut the door behind her, she heard Nicole’s voice from the bedroom.

“Waverly?”

She closed the door behind her and fled.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry to leave things here just before the Thanksgiving holiday, but I want to keep to my posting schedule. In good news, I am on track to wrap this fic before Christmas. (For the curious, I have a short canon-based fic in the hopper and another long AU calling out to me.)
> 
> Also, a big thanks to all the wonderful comments so far. I'm glad that this fic is connecting with people.


	6. Questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The angst of last chapter is resolved, sort of. And there are questions, and some answers!

****Waverly was out of sorts when she reached the street. She only had a vague idea of where she was in relation to The Bullhorn (or her car) and had to look it up on her phone. She got a text from Nicole as she did so, but she didn’t read it. Once she got her bearings, Waverly walked quickly, shivering from the chilly morning. She’d left in such a hurry that she’d left behind her coat.  During the walk to her car, Waverly’s phone pinged again and rang a couple times. She turned it off.

On the drive home, Waverly was a swirl of emotions, none of which she was willing to acknowledge, even to herself. She flipped on the radio to try and drown it all out, to no avail. When she arrived back in Purgatory, she stopped at the diner. As she waited on her food, she reluctantly turned her phone back on.

Nicole had called four times, left two voicemails, and sent a string of texts. Waverly ignored the voicemails and scrolled back to read the texts in order.

> **[** **Sent by Nicole at 7:33 AM:]** Where’d you go?  
> 
> **[Sent by Nicole at 7:49 AM:]**  If you’re moving your car, remember it’s over on Houston.  
> 
> **[Sent by Nicole at 8:04 AM:]**   Would still love to grab a coffee before you go back to Purgatory. Also, I’ve got your coat and scarf. Meet downstairs?
> 
> **[Sent by Nicole at 8:41 AM:]**  Headed to class but please just let me know you’re okay.

Waverly inhaled sharply as the three dots pulsed on her screen.

> **[Sent by Nicole at 9:25 AM:]**  Waverly, please.

Waverly swiped away that text and typed out a quick one to Gus, saying she wasn’t feeling well and wouldn’t be in today, then she turned off her phone. When her food arrived, she scarfed it down and headed back to her apartment. Thankfully, Gus wasn’t at Shorty’s yet so Waverly didn’t have to pretend to be sick. She snagged a bottle of bourbon from behind the bar before she went upstairs.

xxxxx

“I think I know why you’re not feeling well.”

Gus was standing over Waverly, holding the bottle of bourbon, now half empty. Waverly was curled up on her bed, atop the covers, hugging a pillow. She had been drooling. Gus sat down and brushed the hair out of Waverly’s face.

“What time is it?” Waverly mumbled.

“Almost 7.” Gus stood and walked over to the door. “Why don’t you take a shower. I’ll come back in twenty minutes with some food and coffee and we can talk.”

Waverly groaned but got up and did as she was told. After a nice, long steamy shower, she wrapped a towel around her wet hair and put on her comfy robe. When she emerged from the bathroom, Gus was waiting for her with food and an entire carafe of coffee. Waverly ate quickly.

Now clean, full, and caffeinated, Waverly waited for the interrogation to begin. Wynonna was usually the target of these talks from Gus, not her, but she’d been witness to enough to know how it would go for her.

“So you got so drunk last night that you had to crash in the Big City. Then you left town without telling your friend. And today you got drunk all over again? Baby girl, what’s wrong?”

Waverly shrugged.

“Is this some delayed reaction to your break-up with Champ?”

“No.” Waverly responded sharply. “I broke up with him, remember?”

“Good. He’s not worth the heartache.” Gus tried again. “Wynonna?”

Waverly shook her head.

“Then what?”

Waverly’s eyes drifted. “I don’t know.”

“I think you might, but it’s not for me to say.” Gus clamped her hand down on Waverly’s forearm and gave her a little shake and then continued. “You’re an adult now and you can make your own choices. But I’ll tell you the same thing Curtis did last year when he wanted you to leave this town and go to college -- you can’t sit around waiting for life to happen to you. You have to put yourself out there and _live_ it.”

After a pause, she got up and headed for the door. She turned.

“Oh and Waverly.” Waverly looked up.

“Nicole called the bar earlier. She was worried about you. I told her you got home safe but you weren’t feeling well.” Gus paused before continuing. “Don’t be an asshole, Waverly. Call that girl back.”

After cleaning up, Waverly sat in bed and turned on her phone. She was scrolling back through Nicole’s texts from that morning when she got a notification about a new voicemail. It was from Nicole.  The timestamp said it was left that afternoon. Waverly hit play.

“Waverly, I talked to Gus so at least I know you’re alive. And if you don’t want to talk to me, that’s fine. But I’ve been thinking all day about what happened, and if I had anything to do with why you took off, I’m so sorry. It was just, you were drunk and I wasn’t and I just wanted to make sure, first and foremost, that you were okay. I was hoping we could talk about it this morning but maybe you don’t want to. So yeah. We don’t have to talk about it. Or we can. Whatever you want. Just know that I’m sorry.”

She listened to the message three more times. Nicole sounded out of breath, a little nervous. Waverly thought about calling her back but didn’t know what she would say so she sent a text instead.

> **[Sent by Waverly at 8:17 PM:]** **Hey.**

Waverly was relieved when Nicole responded immediately.

> **[** **Nicole:]** Hey.
> 
> **[Waverly:]** Talk at coffee on Tuesday?

As Waverly waited for a response, Nicole’s face popped up on her phone. Waverly wasn't ready to talk, but she knew ignoring the call would only make things worse. After a deep breath, she answered the call.

They exchanged awkward pleasantries, then Nicole said why she called. “I didn’t want you to think I’m blowing you off. This is just easier to explain over the phone. I’ll be gone all next week. They send us out to smaller towns for a week as part of our training. Jimmy and I are headed to Cannon on Sunday.”

Cannon was a couple hours south, down near the border. Waverly had been there several times for high school sporting events and a few times with Champ for rodeos. She’d also made a couple trips on her own to do research, combing through the archives of the _Cannon Gazette_ at the local library. It was about as far away from home as Waverly had ever been.

The thought of not seeing Nicole for over a week was an unpleasant one, but Waverly tried to mask her disappointment. “Cannon’s nice. There’s a decent coffee shop across from the library.”

“That’s good to know. Any other suggestions?”

“Great authentic Chinese restaurant on the main drag. It’s been run by the same family since the gold rush.”

“We’ll definitely have to try that out.” Waverly heard Jimmy’s voice in the background. “Hey, I need to go. We’ve got some people over.”

Waverly wondered if one of those people was Shae. “Can’t wait to see you tonight,” her text had said. But Waverly realized she could do nothing about that. The only thing she could control was her own actions and hope that everything would work out.

“Can we get that coffee when you’re back in the Big City?” Waverly asked quickly before Nicole hung up.

“I think that's a good idea.”

xxxxx

With no boyfriend to amuse and Nicole gone, Waverly found herself with some unexpected free time. She decided to spend it on her Earp research, which she’d been neglecting since school started. She had a few boxes waiting for her at the _Purgatory Times_ that Judy had found during a recent renovation of the newspaper’s building.

The following Tuesday, Waverly came straight home after class. Judy had let her bring one of the boxes home, and Waverly planned to spend the evening going through it carefully. She warmed up some soup for dinner and then settled onto her bed and started leafing through a set of old photographs.

After a while, her phone buzzed. It was a photo of Jimmy giving a thumb’s up behind a bunch of empty plates. Then she got a text.

> **[** **Sent by Nicole at 8:26 PM:** **]** Chinese food was so terrible we ate it all so others need not suffer. #protectandserve

Waverly smiled and a familiar warmth fell over her. It was the first she’d heard from Nicole since Friday night. Waverly had felt uneasy, even after their call, about reaching out to Nicole. She had typed out a few messages to Nicole but never hit send. She was still uncertain where things stood, between them and in her own mind, so it felt safer to let Nicole set the terms of engagement.

They exchanged a few texts about Cannon and what Nicole and Jimmy had been up to, but then Nicole had to go meet the local sheriff for a drink. Waverly put on some music and resumed her research, her heart a little lighter.

It deflated slowly over the next few days when she didn’t hear from Nicole.

Waverly slept in on Sunday morning, exhausted from a double shift at Shorty’s the day before. She woke up with a text and photo waiting for her.

> **[Sent by Nicole at 8:33 AM:]** Saying goodbye to Cannon with a hike. It’s gorgeous here.

The photo was a selfie of Nicole standing in front of a small waterfall, streams of sunlight peeking through the trees, bathing everything in an early morning glow. Her hair was held back by a bandana. There was glint of sweat on Nicole’s brow and a glint in her eyes. Waverly thought Nicole couldn’t possibly look more beautiful. It stirred a feeling in her that was becoming all too familiar. And what she wanted to do about that was starting to become clearer with each passing day.

But there was nothing to be done until she could _see_ Nicole and _talk_ to her. And although Nicole seemed willing to move on from what happened, Waverly knew that wasn’t fair, that she owed Nicole something first, that it was on her to get them back on solid ground, not Nicole. So she texted back, asking about coffee on Tuesday. Nicole said that would work but that she needed to study for a test she had the next day.

> **[Sent by Nicole at 10:43 AM:]** Could use help with my flashcards if you’re game.
> 
> **[Waverly:]** Great. And happy to help . . . if there are stakes. ;)
> 
> **[Nicole:]** Deal. See you Tuesday.

xxxxx

On Tuesday, Waverly’s anthropology lecture ended early so she arrived at Figaro’s a little earlier than usual. The weather had turned chilly so she decided to wait inside for Nicole, ordering a coffee and snagging a booth in the window. As she sipped her drink, she spotted Nicole on the other side of the street, waiting to cross. She was in her usual casual jeans-and-hoodie attire, with her bookbag slung across her back.

Waverly’s anxiety grew. Their text exchanges, though few in number, had been pleasant enough. But Waverly wasn’t sure whether Nicole would be more guarded in person. And even with ten days to think about it, what exactly Waverly planned to say was still a jumble.

Nicole spotted her through the window and gave her a wave on her way to the door. When she came over to the booth, Waverly stood, which felt oddly formal. She felt the urge to give Nicole a hug in greeting, but held back.

Nicole glanced at Waverly’s empty mug. “Sorry, am I late?”

“No, no, I was early.”

Neither of them spoke for a moment. “You want another drink?” Nicole offered.

“Let me. I think I owe you at least that much.” She grabbed her wallet out of her bag.

“Alright then. Just get two of whatever you’re having.”

When Waverly returned with two lattes, Nicole had her course materials and flashcards out and ready. Waverly slid a mug over to Nicole. “You want to jump right in?”

“If you don’t mind,” Nicole replied as she pushed the stack of flashcards across the table. “I’m actually a little nervous about this one.” Waverly found that a little hard to believe. Jimmy had mentioned that Nicole aced everything and would probably graduate at the top of their class.

As Waverly shuffled the cards, she blurted out before she lost her nerve. “Can I say something first?”

“Okay,” Nicole said apprehensively.

Waverly set down the cards and took a deep breath before fixing her gaze on Nicole. “Look, I’m really sorry about _that_ morning, and the night before, obviously. I had had way too much to drink, and when I woke up I didn’t even remember how I got to your place, and I was embarrassed that you had to take care of me. I just . . .” She looked away. Her apology sounded so feeble out loud. And while everything she had said was true, it wasn’t the whole truth, but she couldn’t bring herself to mention the text from Shae. Not yet.

When she looked back over, Nicole had a furrowed brow. She opened her mouth, closed it again. After a long pause, she said, “Waverly, it’s fine. I think I get it. I was just glad you were okay.”

Waverly looked back with grateful eyes. She wasn’t sure she had earned the forgiveness that Nicole was so willing to give her.

“Sorry if calling Shorty’s got you in trouble, but I was worried something happened on your drive.” Nicole added with a grin, “Your aunt sounded pretty pissed.”

“You have nothing to apologize for. It was shitty of me to not call you back and sweet of you to check on me. And yeah, Gus wasn’t too happy when I called in sick to work.”

“You did go pretty hard on the whiskey that night. I thought Earps could hold their liquor?” Nicole raised her eyebrows.

Waverly was glad they were back to their playful banter. “I said we don’t get hangovers. Earps can still get drunk and do things we shouldn’t,” Waverly parried back. But rather than reply, Nicole gave her a quizzical look and took a sip of her latte.

To fill the awkward silence, Waverly grabbed the cards and started shuffling again. “What class is this for?” She asked.

Nicole seemed just as relieved by the change of subject. “Criminal law,” she replied. “Hopefully a little more exciting than last time. So what are we playing for?”

“You decide this time.”

Nicole folded her hands in front of her, considering. “Well I counted, there are 83 cards. How about if I miss more than 8, you win, and less than that, I win?”

Waverly nodded. “And what does the winner get?”

“The winner gets to ask the loser anything she wants -- one question -- that the loser _has_ to answer,” Nicole cocked an eyebrow. Waverly’s eyes got big as she exhaled audibly. What would she ask Nicole? What would Nicole ask her? The possibilities were delicious, the consequences terrifying. But Waverly couldn’t back down now.

“Deal.” She picked the first card up off the stack and they started.

xxxxx

“Oh crap, I forgot your coat,” Nicole exclaimed. “You want to walk over to my apartment so we can grab it?”

“You’re just trying to torture me.” Nicole had won handily -- she had only missed two cards. Waverly was nervous about what Nicole would ask her but also insanely curious.

“I just want to make sure I ask the right question.”

“Well technically you just asked me a question,” Waverly said with a smirk. “And I’m okay with walking over if we can grab some food on the way.”

“Let me text Jimmy and see if he wants anything.” A few minutes later, they were at the pizza place around the corner. The counter was full so they stood as they waited on their order. Waverly was leaning back against the wall, responding to a text from Chrissy about yoga the next morning. She glanced over and noticed that Nicole was biting her lip in the way she did when she was deep in thought.

Waverly stashed her phone and asked, “So have you figured out your question yet?”

Nicole leaned sideways against the wall, so close to Waverly they were almost touching. “I have,” she replied.

“And?”

“Why are you still in Purgatory?”

It was not what Waverly was expecting. Of all the things Nicole could have asked about, this was one that Waverly could easily answer.

“That’s where my family is,” Waverly replied with a shrug.

Nicole narrowed her eyes, clearly not satisfied with Waverly’s answer. “But your sister’s off in Europe. And you said you’ve always wanted to travel. So why not? Or at least go off for college? I’m sure you could’ve gotten scholarships. You were valedictorian.”

Waverly didn’t remember mentioning that tidbit. “How did you -- ?”

“Google, Waverly. It’s like the third thing that comes up for you. Stop deflecting.” Nicole seemed to instantly regret how sharply that came out, and her tone softened. “Look, I know you have some complicated family stuff, but you’re so smart and driven and interested in _everything_. I just don’t quite understand why you haven’t gone out and seen more of the world.”

Waverly looked down at her feet, thinking back to her conversation with Uncle Curtis about this exact same thing. She didn’t have a great answer for him then, and she didn’t have a better one for Nicole now. She fingered the necklace she was wearing, a gift Wynonna had sent her for graduation. Waverly knew that when it came down to it, Wynonna was the reason she stayed. She knew what her sister would soon face, and if Waverly couldn’t do it for her, then she was going to do everything she could to help Wynonna when it was time. But none of that would make sense out of context. How to explain the Earp curse? All her research? Nicole would think she was nuts.

Frustration, anger, loneliness washed over her, and Waverly felt tears pooling in her eyes.

“Hey. Waves.” Waverly felt Nicole’s hand on her shoulder and she looked up into Nicole’s eyes. “Shit. I wasn’t trying to upset you.” Nicole dropped her bag and pulled Waverly to her. Waverly sunk into the embrace. She took a deep breath, detecting the hint of vanilla that always lingered when she was near Nicole. Nicole lightly rubbed her back. The bad feelings subsided. Waverly could stay like this all day.

“Order for Nicole!” The man behind the counter shouted, plopping a couple pizza boxes on the counter.

Nicole stepped back and looked down at Waverly. “You okay?” She asked softly. Waverly wanted to pull Nicole back to her, but instead she just nodded. Nicole picked up her bag and grabbed their pizzas.

xxxxx

Over dinner, Nicole and Jimmy regaled her with stories from their time in Cannon. Then as the roommates were cleaning, Waverly nosed around a bit, checking out the books on the bookshelf and the framed photos placed and hung around the apartment. Most of the photos were from Nicole’s travels, but some were from her and Jimmy’s college years. She found one that must have been taken at a football game in which Nicole’s arm casually draped over Shae’s shoulders. Waverly frowned.

Jimmy offered her a beer, but Waverly declined. It was getting late and she needed to leave soon. Nicole retrieved Waverly’s coat and scarf from her room and offered to walk her back to her car, which was still parked over by the coffee shop.

“You really don’t have to. You probably want to study a little more for your test.”

“It’s really no problem. I feel pretty good about tomorrow,” Nicole said as she shrugged into her jacket.

Their stomachs were full and it was a lovely evening so they walked slower than usual. Waverly suggested climbing on Thursday, but Nicole had an academy function.

“Next week?” Waverly asked hopefully.

“I can’t, well, shouldn’t. We’ve got all our final operations exam as well as physical and weapons tests next week. I don’t want any distractions.”

“And I’m a distraction?” Waverly inquired. Nicole laughed vaguely but said nothing.  

They strolled a bit further in silence until Waverly said, “I wasn’t upset with you earlier, by the way, about your question. I understand why you asked it. I’d probably be wondering too. But some of the reasons, they’re hard to talk about it.”

“Well I’m still sorry I upset you. And I’m here if and when you want to talk about it.”

“Thanks,” Waverly said quietly. She could see a future in which she told Nicole everything, or at least more. Nicole was just the kind of person you could bare your soul to without fear of judgment.

They were almost to Waverly’s Jeep when Nicole asked, “I’m curious what you were going to ask me if you won.”

“Are you going to answer it?”

“Depends on the question.”

Waverly stopped and turned toward Nicole, considering. She decided that if she really wanted to know, now was the time. “I, I was going to ask you about --“ She paused, then said firmly. “Shae, I was going to ask about Shae.”

“What about her?”

“Why didn’t you tell me she was your ex?”

“I don’t know, exactly. I was surprised to see her in town, and at the museum of all places, and things didn’t end great. It’s just a little complicated.”

“Do you still talk?”

“Occasionally.” They walked a little further. “We were together when some stuff went down with my folks,” Nicole explained. “That was a rough time, and she was there for me, so I think a part of me will always remember her fondly.”

“Why did you break up?”

Nicole laughed. “Is this an interrogation? I demand to see my lawyer.”

“One last question?” Waverly pleaded. Nicole glanced over but was non-committal.

“It just seems like she’s still interested in you.”

“Is that a question?”

“Are you interested in that? Getting back together with Shae, I mean?”

“No,” Nicole said without hesitation. It took every ounce of Waverly’s self control to not react. Instead, she offered Nicole a ride back to her apartment.

“No thanks. I’ll walk. It’s such a nice night,” Nicole replied.

So Waverly got in and started her Jeep. She was checking her mirrors when Nicole knocked on the passenger-side window. Waverly rolled it down.

“I almost forgot. I brought you a fortune cookie from that Chinese place in Cannon,” Nicole said as she handed it to Waverly through the window.

“Thanks.” Waverly took the cookie and popped the wrapper open.

“And you’d better text me when you get home,” Nicole said, “Otherwise I’m calling Gus.” She gave Waverly a little wave goodbye.

Waverly cracked open the cookie and put half of it in her mouth. She unfurled the fortune.

 _You already know the answer to the question lingering inside your head_.

Waverly looked up at Nicole’s receding figure and smiled.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again to lflorez21_haught, who was kind enough to read this chapter for me in advance. And she had some interesting thoughts on what Nicole decided to ask Waverly. Curious what other readers think Nicole should have asked (or may have wanted to). 
> 
> And thanks for all the comments and kudos. I've enjoyed writing this fic more than I could have imagined (and probably spend more time on it than I should), so the feedback is all very much appreciated.


	7. Hurt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly, Nicole and the gang go to a basketball game. But is everyone playing the same game?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter does include a homophobic slur (but immediate retribution for the same).

Waverly took Nicole’s “no distractions” comment to heart and resolved not to text or call her. And other than a quick text exchange the morning after their last coffee date about the upcoming Outlaws basketball game, it had been radio silence from Nicole as well. So Waverly hunkered down too, focusing on her studies and her research, though her heart still jumped just a little every time her phone buzzed.

One morning, as Waverly as organizing some of her notes on Edwin Earp, her phone rang. She was hoping to see Nicole’s hiking selfie (now saved as Nicole’s avatar) on her screen, but instead the call was from an unknown number. She almost didn’t pick up but was very glad when she did.

“Hey sis,” said Wynonna.

They talked for over an hour. Wynonna was vague on where exactly she was and who she was with, but Waverly was used to that by now. Just hearing her sister’s voice made her feel a little less lost, a little less lonely. Waverly caught her up on the various goings on in Purgatory. Wynonna said she was glad to hear Waverly had broken things off with Champ. “You were always better than him,” Wynonna told her. Toward the end of their call, Wynonna asked about this new friend she had in the Big City.

“Who told you?” replied Waverly.

“Gus.”

“When did you talk to Gus?”

“She emails me every once in awhile,” Wynonna said, matter-of-fact. “So who’s this friend?”

Waverly bit her lip, trying to decide what to say. She kept it simple. “Her name’s Nicole. She’s a cadet at the police academy in the Big City.”

“A cop, Waverly?” She could practically hear Wynonna’s eye roll over the phone. “She’d better not be steering you in the wrong direction,” she teased.

 _Kind of the opposite_. “If you’re not gonna be here, then I don’t think you get much of a say in who I hang out with,” said Waverly defensively.

“Chill out, baby girl. I was only joking. And you can hardly do worse than your Purgatory friends.”

“Wynonna!”

“Oh come on, what do you really have in common with someone like Stephanie Jones? That girl is two olives short of a martini. And Chrissy Nedley isn’t much better.” Waverly thought Wynonna was probably right about Stephanie but that she was being unfair to Chrissy. Not that she would be able to convince her sister otherwise. Wynonna didn’t have nice things to say about most people in Purgatory.

“Well Nicole’s very smart. She’ll probably finish top of her class at the academy.”

Wynonna chuckled. “You two nerds deserve each other. How in the world did you meet this Nicole?”

“At a bar. It’s kind of a long story. We meet up to study, and we’ve been to the history museum a couple times.”

“The history museum? Twice? On purpose? Dear lord, you two really are huge nerds.”

Waverly rolled her eyes. “She took me indoor rock climbing too. She’s kind of a badass. I actually think you’d like her.”

“Unlikely. Hard to get over that whole narc thing.” Wynonna replied.

“Well what, what if I like her?” Waverly asked tentatively.

“Well I would hope so. Helps to actually like your friends,” responded Wynonna, oblivious to what Waverly was saying. Waverly dropped the subject and asked whether she would be home for Christmas, but Wynonna said she probably wouldn’t.

“Well then please don’t wait so long to call next time,” Waverly pleaded. “And I wouldn’t mind getting an email every once in awhile.”

“Deal. Love you, baby girl.”

“Love you too, Wynonna.”

xxxxx

The Friday evening before the basketball game, Waverly was at work when her phone buzzed. Nicole’s picture was on her screen, a sight for sore eyes. Waverly told Tracey she’d be right back and ducked out the back door.

“We’re done!” Nicole exclaimed the second Waverly answered the call.

“Done, done?” Waverly asked.

“Pretty much, all we have next week is our final psych evaluation and some placement interviews.”

“That’s so exciting. Congratulations.”

“Thanks.” But then Nicole said she had to get going. She was on her way to a party. They quickly discussed logistics for the game the next night before hanging up. Waverly floated back inside. The rest of her shift flew by.

xxxxx

As planned, Waverly parked near Nicole’s apartment. Nicole, Jimmy and Edie met her downstairs. Edie said a polite hello but gave her a bit of an strange look. Waverly noticed that she turned to Jimmy immediately after, and he shook his head ever-so-slightly. Waverly again felt the urge to give Nicole a hug in greeting, but she held back.

On the way to the area, they stayed a couple paces behind Jimmy and Edie, who were walking hand-in-hand. Waverly so wanted to take Nicole’s hand in the same way, but she didn’t have the courage. Instead, she kept her hands safely in her coat pockets.

The four of them met up with a larger group of cadets outside the arena. Nicole politely introduced Waverly to some of the cadets she hadn’t met previously. Bea was the last to arrive. Waverly thanked her for the use of her climbing equipment. Jimmy distributed the tickets from his brother, who happened to be one of the Outlaws’ star players, and they filed into the arena.

Most of the group was wearing Outlaws apparel of some sort. Jimmy’s had a maroon and yellow jersey with his brother’s number on the back, Buck was wearing maroon pants and a yellow polo shirt with an embroidered Outlaws logo on the front, and the other cadets had on a variety of Outlaws t-shirts. Nicole was wearing an unadorned maroon button down paired with an Outlaws baseball hat. Waverly hadn’t seen her in a hat before. _Pretty damn adorable_.

Feeling that she was lacking in team spirit, Waverly nudged Nicole as they passed by a team store in the concourse. “Come with me to buy a shirt?” She asked.

“Sure.” Nicole told Jimmy they’d meet up with everyone at their seats, then she and Waverly wound their way through the crowd and into the shop.

Waverly took stock of the various offerings. A maroon and yellow raglan-sleeve shirt with “Outlaws” emblazoned across the chest caught her eye. She found her size and held it up to Nicole.

“What do you think?”

“Looks good to me.”

“I should probably try it on.” Waverly glanced to the back corner of the shop, where she saw a couple patrons lined up to use the dressing room. “When does the game start?”

Nicole glanced at her watch. “Ten minutes.”

“Better make this quick then.” Waverly slipped off her coat and handed it and her purse to Nicole. It wasn’t until she started untucking her blouse that Nicole understood what was happening.

“Waverly!” Nicole exclaimed in a hushed tone. She looked around the store.

“What? No one’s looking.” As Waverly pulled her blouse over her head, she saw Nicole steal a quick glance down. _Well not no one_.

Waverly threw the shirt over her head. It fit reasonably well in the arms, but as was typical, it was too loose around her midsection. She walked over to a nearby mirror to asses the situation, then knotted the excess material in the back the same way she did with her workout shirts. It left a couple inches of her abdomen exposed.

Waverly returned to where Nicole was standing. “Better?” She asked. Nicole nodded. Waverly reclaimed her coat and purse, and turned. “Help me with the tag?”

Nicole seemed to hesitate, but then Waverly felt her hair being swept aside. The light touch of Nicole’s fingers on the back of her neck sent a flash through Waverly. That feeling intensified when she felt Nicole’s breath on her neck as she fished the price tag out of the back of the shirt and snapped it off. Once the deed was done, Nicole withdrew quickly.

“Here.” She handed the tag to Waverly. “Mind if I wait outside the shop while you pay?” Waverly shook her head, noticing, with some wickedness, that Nicole looked flushed.

They found their seats -- they were good ones, about 15 rows behind the Outlaws’ bench. The other cadets were already seated. Waverly sat between Jimmy and Nicole.

The first half was exciting, but Waverly had forgotten more about basketball than she remembered, so during timeouts, she would ask Nicole questions. Nicole had played in high school and was pretty good according to Jimmy. She patiently answered Waverly’s questions, but when Waverly tried to engage in some mild flirtation, Nicole wouldn’t bite.

At halftime, Nicole suggested they get something to eat. Waverly needed to use the bathroom so they split up. She was unsure which way Nicole went for refreshments, so Waverly leaned against the wall near the entrance to the their section and waited. She whipped out her phone and saw a text from Gus, saying that she had gotten someone to cover her shift tomorrow. Waverly typed out a thankful reply, punctuating it with a kiss emoji. As Waverly slid her phone back into her pocket, she heard a familiar, chilling voice.

“I thought you weren’t into sports?” Waverly felt her body tense and turned to see Mitch, sporting a backwards baseball hat and a sour expression. He stepped toward her and stood uncomfortably close. They hadn’t interacted since that fateful night at The Bullhorn when she met Nicole. Waverly had taken pains in the following weeks to avoid him before and after anthropology class. She did see him walk into Figaro’s one day while she was studying with Nicole, but she slumped low in the booth behind her textbook to avoid his notice.

Despite her disdain for this asshole, Waverly tried to look neutral. “Hey Mitch.”

He leered. “Did I see you with that ginger cop?”

“What’s it to you?” Waverly spat back.

“Don’t tell me that dyke does it for you. A girl like you can do a lot better.” Waverly was already burning with contempt, but the slur made her blood positively boil.

“Like with an entitled asshole with a tiny prick? Hard pass.” Waverly stepped to her left to extricate herself from the situation. But Mitch leaned on the wall, one of his long arms blocking her path.  

 _I’m done with this bullshit_. She kneed him, hard, in the groin. Mitch gasped and doubled over. “You bitch.” He spat. A couple passersby took notice but said nothing.

“That hardly seems like the way to talk to a lady.” Waverly looked up to see Nicole holding two drinks and some nachos. “Need any help there, Wave?”

“Nope.” She stepped past Mitch, who was still doubled over. “Let’s go watch some basketball.” She streaked down the tunnel, Nicole following close behind.

Once they were back in their seats, Nicole asked what happened, but the question barely registered with Waverly as adrenaline coursed through her body. She stared intently at the court, but the players were blurry.

She felt a soft touch on her knee. “Wave. Look at me, please. Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” Nicole pleaded softly. Waverly felt her blood begin to re-settle. The world came slowly back into focus.

“Was that the same asshole from the bar that night we met?" Nicole asked. "It was hard to tell with the baseball cap -- and the fact that he was doubled over.”

Waverly finally looked over at Nicole, who had a smirk on her face. _God those dimples._ “The very same.”  

“What did he say to you?”

“Just some homophobic bullshit.” Nicole frowned and her eyes drifted. Waverly felt Nicole’s hand slide off her knee, but Waverly grabbed it with her own, entwining their fingers. “And I’m fine.”  

Nicole looked back at her, questioning. “I promise,” Waverly said. She gave Nicole’s hand a squeeze and then leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek. “Now where are those nachos?”

The second half was blur of excitement. The Outlaws were behind at halftime, but they slowly chipped away at the lead. Jimmy’s brother was playing well. He nailed a couple three-pointers and punctuated a fast break with a thunderous drunk. Maybe it was the adrenaline still percolating in her body from the encounter with Mitch (or maybe it was the nachos), but Waverly got caught up in the drama of it all. After big plays, she would jump out of her seat, high-fiving everyone in their group (and sometimes strangers).

Jimmy’s brother hit two free throws with ten seconds to play that ended up being the difference in the game. They all streamed out of the arena, high on the win, and headed for The Bullhorn to celebrate.

“It’s pretty late already. Are you planning to drive home tonight?” Nicole asked during the walk to the bar.

“I thought I’d stay with you,” replied Waverly, with what she hoped was a suggestive tone. Nicole didn’t react so she added, “If that’s okay with you.”

“Sure,” Nicole replied, though her expression didn’t change.

When they arrived at the bar Nicole headed straight for the bathroom, while Waverly squeezed into a round booth with part of the group. They ordered a couple pitchers.  

“No whiskey?” Jimmy asked.

“Think I’d better not, after last time,” she said playfully. Edie shared a look with Jimmy, but neither of them said anything. Waverly fell into a conversation with Bea about rock climbing and was over halfway through her first beer when she noticed Nicole had not yet come back from the bathroom.

She was about to go check on her when Nicole arrived, two new pitchers and a bright smile in tow. “This round’s on me.” The cadets hollered. Nicole set the pitchers down. Jimmy leapt up, wordlessly inviting Nicole to take his place next to Waverly.

“It’s okay, Jimmy, I can pull up a chair.”  

“Nonsense. Sit.” Jimmy said forcefully. He grabbed a chair from a neighboring table and pulled it up to end of the booth. Nicole slid in next to Waverly hung off the edge of the seat, leaving a cushion of air between them. She took off her hat and put it on the table and ran her fingers through her hair. Her smile had faded already.

Waverly poured her a beer and set the glass down in front of Nicole. Then she leaned over and said quietly in Nicole’s ear. “You okay? You were gone awhile.”

“There was a long line for the bathroom, and then I had to wait for the beer,” Nicole replied. It made sense but her tone was unconvincing. They sat silently nursing their beers as the other cadets continued to chatter.

After a while, Waverly tried again. “Thank you for inviting me tonight. It was a blast, despite having to knee an asshole in the balls.”

Finally, Nicole looked back at her. “The halftime show was certainly . . . interesting.” She smiled but then asked seriously, in a low whisper that only Waverly could hear. “You’re sure you’re okay? Has he been bothering you at school too?”

“Yes, I’m sure, and no, that’s the first time he’s talked to me since the night we met. Hopefully it’s the last.”

“Well if he bothers you again, please report him. Guys like that don’t usually give up so easily. They think they’re entitled to whatever -- or whoever -- they want.” Waverly nodded in agreement. “And if you need me to teach you a few self-defense moves, I’d be happy to.” Normally Nicole would have delivered such a line with flirtatious undercurrent, but Waverly heard only concern.

“Thank you. I might take you up on that.” Waverly lifted her glass. Nicole mirrored the gesture. They clinked glasses and drank. The pall seemed to to subside, and they joined in the general revelry of the group.

A little later, Jimmy challenged the pair to a game of pool. As Nicole racked the balls and Jimmy lined up to break, Waverly found herself alone with Edie.

“You really tied one on a couple weeks ago.” Edie said, keeping her eyes on the table.  “Nicole was worried about you. How were you feeling the next morning?”

“Yeah, I really overdid it. But no hangover -- we don’t really get them in my family,” she said with a grin. With Nicole watching intently, Jimmy broke, sinking a solid ball. He lined up his next shot.

Edie nodded toward the table. “I assume since you’re here, you and Nicole talked about what happened?”

Waverly gave Edie a side-long glance. “I mean, I did apologize for being a drunk moron and passing out at her apartment. I was so embarrassed. I don’t know what got into me.” Jimmy missed his shot, and Nicole took over the table.

Edie turned to face her, one eyebrow ticked up. “You really don’t remember?”

“Shit,” Nicole exclaimed after missing her shot.

“Edie, you’re up,” said Jimmy. Edie turned on her heel, leaving Waverly dumbstruck.

Waverly played terribly, with Edie’s comment churning in her mind. Nicole was good, but not good enough to overcome a useless partner, so Jimmy and Edie prevailed, leaving Nicole and Waverly on the hook for the next round of drinks. They sidled up to the bar, perching on two open stools, and waited to catch the bartender’s eye.

After they ordered, Waverly turned her stool toward Nicole.

“Hey. Are we good?”  

Nicole remained facing forward, but tilted her head toward Waverly. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know, things seem a little off between us.” She rested her hand on Nicole’s knee and grew even more concerned when Nicole looked away. “And Edie, well, I don’t know what she meant, but did I say something stupid that night at your apartment?”

“Don’t worry about it. You’d had a lot to drink,” Nicole replied, keeping her eyes forward. Waverly remained unconvinced.

“Nicole, please.” Waverly’s hand drifted a little up Nicole’s thigh. “I feel like I’ve screwed this up.” Waverly gestured between them with her free hand.

Nicole turned slightly and faced Waverly. She very deliberately lifted Waverly’s hand off her leg before replying. “Well that’s just it. “What is ‘this’, Waverly?” She mimicked Waverly’s previous gesture. “You tell me.”

Waverly looked down trying to find the words, and the courage to say them.

Nicole slid off her stool. “Exactly,” she said. Then she retreated from the bar. Waverly was paralyzed for a few seconds. When she finally looked up, she saw Nicole was headed toward the bathroom. She jumped up to follow, snaking through the crowd as quickly as she could. She caught up just as the bathroom door was about to close behind Nicole.

Waverly stopped the door with her hand then slid into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. Nicole was leaning on the counter, her head down. When she finally looked up, Waverly could see in the mirror that her eyes were red.

"Nicole . . ."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No WayHaught fic is complete without a little Oblivious Wynonna. :)
> 
> Also, I realize this ended on a cliffhanger so I promise you'll have the next chapter later this week.


	8. Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Resolution to the cliffhanger. Confessions galore!

“Nicole . . .”

Waverly’s plea was met with silence. “Nicole, please talk to me.”

After what felt like an eternity, Nicole turned around. “About  _what_ , Waverly?” She said bitterly, as she leaned back against the counter and crossed her arms. Nicole was usually so calm and measured that it was a bit of a shock to hear a hint of anger in her voice. Waverly could only stand there, her mouth agape, so Nicole went on.

“About how I was interested in you from the moment that we met? About how disappointed I was when I found out you had a boyfriend? About how I should’ve known better than try to be friends with a straight girl that I had feelings for? About how I felt every time you flirted with me?”

Nicole uncrossed her arms, putting her hands on the counter behind her. She looked down for a moment before saying, in a quieter tone, "About the night you kissed me?”

Waverly had been watching Nicole intently but looked away, trying to process everything that she had said. Flashes from that night at Nicole's apartment started bubbling up from the deep recesses of her brain. Nicole lowering her onto the bed. Edie slipping off her skirt and blouse and wrestling her into a t-shirt. Being tucked under the covers. Nicole gently putting her hands around Waverly’s neck and unfastening her long, delicate necklace. Nicole's sweater sagging as she leaned down, giving Waverly another glimpse of that enticing turquoise bra. Waverly looping a hand around Nicole's neck and pulling her in for a kiss.

And then she remembered the disappointment she felt when Nicole pulled away without kissing her back.

Nicole’s voice brought her back to the present. "I've been kissed by enough drunk, curious straight girls to know the drill,” she said, with a little laugh. “But I held out hope that I was right about you, Waverly. That you felt something for me too. Then you took off the next morning without so much of a goodbye . . ." Nicole's voice, usually so steady, trembled.

Waverly finally looked up. The pain and confusion in Nicole’s eyes were palpable. That she was the cause was almost unbearable. She opened her mouth, but Nicole held up a hand.

"You wanted me to talk, so please let me finish." Nicole looked away for a moment and then returned her eyes to Waverly's. A single tear fell down her cheek. Waverly sunk even lower.

"I tried to stop flirting with you, but then _you_ started flirting with  _me._  And tonight at the game, with the undressing and the flirting, and just now at the bar with your hand on my thigh." Nicole swallowed. "I want to be your friend, Waverly, but you're making it hard not to want more."

Sensing Nicole was done, Waverly paused to gather her thoughts.

"Three things." Waverly said as she took a tentative step toward Nicole.  

"One, I am so sorry." She took another step. “Truly,” she added. Nicole’s eyes remained fixed on hers.

"Two, I don't have a boyfriend. I dumped Champ weeks ago." Waverly inched closer and reached up to wipe away that tear.

"Three, I _definitely_ want more." Before she lost her nerve, Waverly slid her hand from Nicole’s cheek to the back of her neck, leaned in, and brought her lips to Nicole's.

For a fraction of a second, Waverly felt no response. But then Nicole's grabbed her hip, pulling Waverly's body closer. Waverly felt a shock through her whole body and pressed to deepen the kiss. Her desire was met, as Nicole parted her lips for her. Waverly wrapped both arms around Nicole’s neck, bringing their bodies flush.

Waverly's mind was a blur, but her body was very clear. It ached. For Nicole.

The moment was interrupted by a loud bang on the door followed by a woman’s voice.  “And I  _definitely_ need to pee ASAP so can you guys figure things out somewhere other than the bathroom?”

They broke apart and smiled. Nicole kept her eyes on Waverly as she yelled back. “Sorry. We’ll be out in a second.”

“Your place?” Waverly suggested hopefully.

Nicole bit her lip and nodded. Waverly grabbed Nicole’s hand and led them out of the bathroom. She heard the woman waiting outside chuckle as they passed. Without a word, they split up. Waverly went to retrieve their things from the booth, and then she found Nicole over by the pool tables, offering Jimmy money for their part of the tab. Waverly approached, unnoticed by either of them.

"About time," she heard Jimmy say.

Waverly announced her presence by snaking her free arm around Nicole's waist and giving her a squeeze. She handed Nicole her parka. "Ready to go babe?" Nicole gave her a smile as she put her coat on.  

"Babe?" Jimmy glanced at Waverly with raised eyebrows.  

Waverly tugged the front of Nicole's parka and pulled her in for a quick kiss, then she placed Nicole’s hat, slightly askew, on her own head. "She's a total babe." The words felt nice to say out loud. Nicole grinned, retrieved her hat, and then took one of Waverly's hands.

Neither of them said much as they practically floated back to Nicole’s apartment. In what felt like no time, they were standing outside her door, and Nicole was fitting her key in the lock. After she turned the key, Nicole looked back and almost looked surprised that Waverly was still there.

Waverly took the hat off Nicole’s head, wrapped an arm around her neck, and kissed her. Nicole adeptly pulled her closer with one arm and opened the door behind them, then navigated them through the doorway and locked the door. The kiss continued as they spun down the hall, shedding their outerwear as they went. Their progress was stopped by the couch. Nicole lifted Waverly, perching her on the back of the couch. Waverly instinctively wrapped her legs around Nicole’s hips.  

Nicole groaned and drew back just enough to murmur, “Is this --” before resuming the kiss.

Waverly broke the kiss completely but kept her forehead against Nicole’s and cupped her face in her hands. She looked into Nicole’s brown eyes and whispered, “Real? I sure hope so. I’ve been dreaming about it for weeks.”

Nicole dropped her eyes and exhaled. Waverly moved her hands to the back of Nicole’s neck and played with the tiny curls at the nape. After a moment, Nicole finally met Waverly’s gaze again.  

“I was gonna say -- is this okay? I don’t, I mean -- ugh.” She took a deep breath. “I know this is sort of new for you, and I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”

“I could be  _more_ comfortable.” Waverly kept her eyes up but moved her hands to the front of Nicole’s shirt and started on the buttons. Nicole sucked on her lower lip and tightened her grip on Waverly’s hips. When Waverly finished with the buttons, she ran her her hands around Nicole’s waist, reveling in the feeling of her soft skin. Then she leaned down and kissed Nicole’s delicate collarbone. Nicole followed her lead, untying the knot at the back of Waverly’s shirt and running her hands up and under the fabric.

Waverly thought about how nothing about this was making her uncomfortable at all. It was a little different, kissing a woman, holding a woman, but it had felt  _right_  since that first kiss at the bar, like a giant gear in her body had clicked into place.

“Couch?” Nicole whispered in her ear. Waverly shook her head. Nicole lifted Waverly’s gaze with a delicate touch under her chin. Nicole’s body radiated desire, but her eyes were silently questioning.  

“Bed,” said without hesitation.

“Wave,” Nicole growled. She gave Waverly a quick kiss before completely breaking contact, backing up a few paces. She kept her eyes down and ran her fingers through her hair.

Waverly’s body was not pleased with the lack of contact, the hum in her stomach idling. When Nicole finally looked back at her, Waverly could see the apprehension in her eyes. And just like that, the mood shifted. It was as if the bubble of desire that had carried them from the bathroom at The Bullhorn to this point had finally popped.

“What’s wrong?” Waverly asked quietly as she slid off the back of the couch. “Isn’t this what you want?”

Nicole’s expression changed for a moment, to one that Waverly read as somewhere between  _yes_ and  _oh god hell yes_. But the apprehension quickly returned. “It’s just, I think I know what you mean when you say that,” Nicole said.

Waverly raised her eyebrows and nodded ever-so-slightly.

Nicole took a deep breath. “And a part of me wants that to, but tonight has been a lot to take in. A couple hours ago I had convinced myself that I had to stop seeing you at all. I just couldn't handle it anymore. And now you’re here and we’re . . . and you want to . . . “ She looked down for a moment. “I feel like I have whiplash.”

Waverly felt a surge of guilt. She thought of the anguish in Nicole’s voice back in the bathroom when she admitted to liking Waverly all along. It wasn't exactly a shock, but hearing Nicole say it out loud gave it a different power altogether. And despite her feelings for Waverly, Nicole had been nothing but a friend to her, patient and kind, with seemingly no romantic expectations.

Meanwhile, Waverly had flitted about, dipping a toe in when she needed to take a plunge. But she was only able to overcome her doubts through a combination of alcohol and jealousy. And unsurprisingly, that rocky foundation had crumbled, leaving her in a panicked denial to that led her, quite literally, to flee. She thought about Nicole’s voicemail, the confusion in her voice, and her own feeble her apology at coffee.

And now she knew the full extent of her own actions that night. Or perhaps she had always known what she had done, what Nicole hadn’t, and had buried that knowledge deep within, like so many other feelings she had. Yet Nicole was willing to forgive it all and still be friends, and then Waverly flirted and pushed as if nothing had changed.

“Do you need me to go? I can go,” Waverly replied sullenly. She took a step toward her coat, which was still lying on the floor of the hallway.

“No,” Nicole said quickly as she stepped closer, cutting her off, and took one of Waverly’s hands in her own. The touch grounded Waverly, and she felt like she could breathe again. “Please stay. But maybe can we take it a little slower?” There was a twinge of regret in Nicole’s voice.

Waverly knew, deep down, why she had pushed things in that direction so quickly. It was how she used to solve things with Champ, and it usually (always) worked. But Nicole was different,  _this_ was different, and Waverly understood in that moment that she couldn’t paper over things with Nicole with just affection.

As that realization came to the forefront, she nodded slowly. “You’re right. I just don't want you to doubt me,” she explained. “I know you have reason to. I thought if I showed you . . .”

“Waverly.” Nicole looked down at her with a serious look in those big brown eyes. “I don't have those kind of expectations. Certainly not tonight. But I  _would_ like you to stay.” A slight smile spread across Nicole’s lips. “And maybe you can show me by staying for breakfast this time?”

Waverly buried her head in Nicole’s chest, and Nicole wrapped her arms around Waverly in response. They stood like that for a moment. “I’m so sorry,” Waverly muttered, then she looked up. “Please believe me when I say I didn’t remember kissing you until you mentioned it. Maybe it was just the alcohol or maybe I buried the memory deep in my brain out of embarrassment.”

Nicole raised her eyebrows. “Embarrassment?”

“Not because I kissed you. I had wanted to for awhile. But maybe because I only had the courage to do it when I was three sheets to the wind,” she said before adding, “and maybe because you didn’t kiss me back.”

“Oh, I wanted to,” Nicole replied with a chuckle. “I hope you know why I didn’t.”

“I do. Drunk straight girl and all that,” Waverly replied. “Well not so straight, as it turns out,” she added with a smile, and gave Nicole a light kiss to prove her point. And Nicole kissed her back, to prove her own.

Then Nicole pulled back and asked, “Wait, so if you really didn’t remember kissing me, why did you disappear the next day?”

Waverly grimaced. “That text from Shae,” she admitted, reluctantly.

“So you  _did_ see that? I had wondered.” Nicole eyes drifted and her cheeks reddened a bit.

“I didn’t mean to, I swear. It just popped up when I was switching our phones. I was already a little out of sorts, and when I saw that, I just panicked. I was starting to figure everything out, then your gorgeous ex shows up and is all over you and sends you that text . . .”

“I meant it when I said I wasn’t interested in getting back with Shae. Never was.” Nicole looked away for a moment. “But I should have told you the other day, when you asked about Shae. She kissed me that night, at the bar.”

“And did you --?”

“No, I didn’t kiss her back,” Nicole replied, correctly anticipating the question. Waverly believed her immediately. “It was my fault. We were sitting at the bar waiting on some drinks, and I asked her to have dinner with me the next night. I was planning to tell her I wasn’t interested in getting back together. After everything we’d been through, it felt like the right way to do it, you know? But I think I gave her the wrong idea. And then she just leaned over . . .” Nicole’s looked down and muttered an apology.

Waverly put her hands on the sides on Nicole’s face, guiding her gaze back up. “Nicole, you don’t owe me an apology. It’s not like we were together. So if anything did happen, I have no right to be mad.”

Nicole’s response was immediate and frank. “Well it didn’t.” She looped her arms back around Waverly’s waist. “I could only think of you.” She smiled, deploying her dimples in a way that made Waverly weak in the knees.

But before she gave in to those dimples, Waverly wanted to take advantage of Nicole’s confessional mood. “Only me, huh? Well what about all your other dates, Tinder or otherwise?”

Nicole blushed a little, apparently caught out. “I did go on a couple after we met. Same problem. Same result.” Waverly was happy to have that mystery solved and even happier to hear that these dates hadn’t gone well. She leaned in for a kiss, which Nicole happily returned.

Nicole’s phone buzzed in her pocket, but they kept kissing for a few minutes before Nicole said she’d better check it because it might be Jimmy. It was. “They’re settling their tab right now and should be back in 20.” She looked around the hall then back at Waverly. “Help me pick this stuff up?”

They gathered their coats and scarves. Waverly leaned back against the wall next to the coat closet as Nicole put their things on hangers. When she was done, Nicole shut the closet door slowly and looked over at her. “So you really broke up with your boyfriendweeksago?”

Waverly nodded.

Nicole put a hand on the wall above Waverly’s head and leaned over her. “That would have been nice to know.”

Waverly looked up with an apologetic smile. “I was planning to tell you, and then I thought I had _that_ night, and then everything went sideways and I sort of forgot that I hadn’t . . . Would that have made a difference?”

Nicole played with a strand of Waverly’s hair as she considered the question for a moment. “It might have given me a little more hope. But I wanted you to figure out your side of things on your own. That’s why I stopped flirting with you, or at least tried to stop.”

“It’s a little comforting that you were actively trying  _not_ to flirt with me when I was  _very much_ flirting with you,” Waverly said, before adding with a grin, “I thought maybe I was just terrible at it.”

They both laughed quietly.

“You know --”  Waverly put a hand on Nicole’s hip and pulled her closer. “Someone once told me how hard it is to resist flirting with a beautiful girl.” She put her other hand on one of Nicole’s cheeks. “And you, Nicole, are  _so very beautiful_.”

xxxxx

Waverly awoke the next morning in a cocoon of bliss, her and Nicole’s bodies pressed close, Nicole’s arm draped over her waist. She inched back into the embrace and took a deep breath. Even Nicole’s sheets smelled of vanilla.

Last night, they had quick make-out session on the couch until Jimmy texted again, saying that he and Edie were on their way up. As they straightened up their clothing and the couch, Nicole asked if Waverly was still okay with staying over and offered to sleep on the couch if that would make her feel more comfortable.

Waverly gave Nicole a kiss. “I want to wake up next to you,” she said as Calamity Jane snaked through their legs, preening for attention.

“Okay,” Nicole replied as she bent down and picked up the cat. “I’ll warn you, though. This one snores.” Calamity Jane purred innocently.

Getting ready for bed together almost felt more intimate than anything they had done that night, and Waverly sensed Nicole becoming a little shy. Nicole lent her an old t-shirt to sleep in (which was so soft that Waverly already had plans to steal it) and found her a spare toothbrush. As Waverly started to change out of her clothes, Nicole went to the kitchen to get them some water. While Waverly was brushing her teeth in the bathroom, Nicole changed into her pajamas pants and a tank top. When she was done, Waverly slid under the covers and waited for Nicole to finish in the bathroom.

After Nicole was done, she flicked off the overhead light and then she slid under the covers as well. She leaned over and turned off the bedside lamp, leaving them in darkness. The bed was only a double, so they were already fairly close, but Waverly wanted to be closer.

“I don’t bite, you know,” Waverly said in the darkness, cuddling into Nicole.

“That’s a shame, I was hoping you were into that,” Nicole said with that deadpan tone that Waverly could never read. A blush burned through Waverly’s cheeks, and she was glad for the darkness. Nicole kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair silently, and before Waverly knew it, she was fast asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, this was a tough chapter to write. Writing angry/sad Nicole is no fun. And I know there's lots of talking and not enough kissing, but I felt like there was a lot these two needed to sort out before moving forward. I have Many Thoughts on how these two characters (as presented on the show) deal with conflict, and it informed how I wrote this fic and this chapter in particular. But I will spare you all from my treatise on the subject.
> 
> Anyway, I hope people found this to be a satisfying resolution to the drama that preceded it and that people enjoy where the story goes from here. I think it's pretty fun.
> 
> A quick note on the chronology: according to my notes, at this point in the story, Nicole and Waverly have known each other for about 6 weeks, and we’re now in mid November. I’ve not tried to make that clear because despite my obsessiveness about timelines, I didn't do a good job writing those types of details into this fic. So just an FYI for the curious.


	9. Graduation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes titles have double meanings...

Waverly must have drifted back asleep. When she came to this time, she and Nicole were in a similar position, but snuggled together a little closer. Nicole’s arm was now tightly wrapped around her, and Waverly was holding Nicole’s hand in hers. She could feel Nicole’s chest rising and falling ever so slightly, with a steadiness that meant Nicole was probably asleep, so Waverly remained still.

Everything felt a little lighter this morning. For weeks, as Waverly’s feelings for Nicole had morphed from friendly interest to knowing attraction, the uncertainty of whether and how to act on those feelings had weighed on her. What if she had kissed Nicole and felt nothing? Where would that have left them? But that first kiss (which, it turned out, was actually their second) had sealed it for Waverly, proven to her that these worries were unfounded.

_Now could you please wake up so I can kiss you again?_

Waverly jumped a little when, a mere seconds later, Nicole kissed her shoulder. _Did I say that out loud?_

“Sorry. I thought you were awake,” Nicole said quietly.

Waverly rolled so she was facing Nicole, their lips inches apart. “I was. I was just lost in thought.”

“And what were you thinking about?” Nicole asked with a smile as she brushed a strand of hair out of Waverly’s face.

“How hungry I am.”

“Breakfast?”

“Not yet,” Waverly replied. Then she leaned over and got the kiss she’d been hungry for.

Later that morning, they went to a diner with Jimmy and Edie. Jimmy was his usual jovial self, teasing Nicole about the meticulous way she dressed and ate her pancakes. His behavior toward Waverly was as friendly as ever. Edie, on the other hand, seemed a little cold towards her. Based on their conversation at the bar last night, it was clear Edie knew about their first kiss. But Waverly worried there was something else behind it. So as she and Nicole walked to her Jeep after breakfast, Waverly asked about the only thing that came to mind -- whether Edie had wanted Nicole to get back together with Shae.

Nicole gave her a weird look. “Definitely not.” They took a few more steps before she asked, “Where did that question come from?

“At breakfast, it just felt like maybe she’s not okay with you and me. She’s known Shae a long time, and they’re still in school together.”

“Well that is exactly why Edie doesn’t want us back together. She was there the first time around.”

One day, Waverly would find out exactly what went wrong there, but she had more pressing matters at the moment. “Then why?”

Nicole stopped and put her hands on Waverly’s shoulders. “Waverly, relax. She’ll come around. I promise. She’s just being protective.”

“Protective? Am I that scary?” She asked sarcastically.

Nicole leaned down. “No, but I still think you’re trouble.” She brought her lips to Waverly’s. The way her body stirred every time Nicole kissed her, Waverly knew _she_ was most definitely _in_ trouble.

xxxxx

The next two days drug on until finally, after Waverly’s Tuesday classes, they were together again. Nicole’s schedule was fairly wide open until graduation, so she was waiting at Figaro’s when Waverly got there. While Waverly worked furiously on a paper that was due the next morning, Nicole sat next to her, quietly reading a book. Every once in awhile, Nicole would lean over and kiss Waverly on the temple before returning to her reading.

It was bliss.

Two days later, Nicole insisted on taking Waverly on a proper dinner-and-a-movie date. As they walked from the restaurant to the theater, Waverly took Nicole’s hand. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Nicole smile just a little.

It was heaven.

Over the weekend, Waverly worked a double both days so she could spend the next weekend in the Big City. She was sleeping in on Sunday morning when she heard her phone buzz. It was a picture of a box from the local bakery with two coffees perched on top. “Special delivery!” Said the follow-up text from Nicole.

Waverly practically sprinted downstairs to let Nicole into the building. Nicole had borrowed a car and driven to Purgatory just to come see her for a couple hours. They cuddled and kissed and talked until Waverly had to get to work. She was a little late, and Waverly could tell Gus was about to read her the riot act until she saw Nicole shuffle down the stairs after her. Her aunt and Nicole chatted politely for a few minutes, then Nicole helped Waverly take all the chairs off the tables, wipe down the bar and tables, and rack the glasses.

When it was almost time to open up, Nicole said she should probably get going.

“Can you stay a bit longer?” Gus asked.

Nicole looked at her with a puzzled expression but replied, “I’m happy to stay and help if you need me to, Mrs. McCready.”

“Please, call me Gus, and you are sweet to offer. But what I meant is since you came all this way, I think my niece should spend some time showing you around Purgatory.” Gus turned to Waverly and added, “Just be back by 3 to help me get ready for the dinner crowd.”

Waverly nodded gratefully and gave her aunt a kiss on the cheek. Then she led Nicole out of the bar by the hand.

It was amazing.

The following Tuesday, Nicole invited her over after class. Waverly sat on the counter, drinking wine, while Nicole made homemade gnocchi.

“Where did you learn to do this?”

“Last year while I was traveling, I stopped in Italy for a couple weeks and took a class,” Nicole explained. She came over to where Waverly was sitting and ran her hands up Waverly’s thighs at an agonizingly slow pace, parting them so she could position herself in between. Then she slid her hands back around to Waverly’s butt, giving it a little squeeze. “The instructor said I was a natural, good with my hands.”

“I’ll bet,” Waverly managed to mutter just before Nicole kissed her. It became very serious, very quickly -- so much so that they both lost track of where they were, resulting in Waverly hitting her head against the cabinet behind her. They had just recovered from their giggles and were getting back to where things had left off when Jimmy came home earlier than expected. Nicole’s gnocchi was amazing, the best Waverly had ever had, but what she really wanted wasn't on the menu. Yet.

It was frustrating.  
  
Then on Thursday, they went climbing. Waverly made it up the wall twice, even after taking a harder route on her second attempt. Nicole ended the night by completing one of the most difficult parts of the wall. Waverly was so turned on that she lured Nicole into the back of her Jeep for a sweaty makeout session. It was dark and there were barely any cars left in the lot, so Waverly tried to take things into more serious territory when Nicole interjected.

“Waverly, not like this,” she said, panting.

It was unbearable.

On Saturday, Waverly arrived at Nicole’s apartment and was greeted by Jimmy, who answered the door in his dress uniform. He looked very dashing, and Waverly couldn't wait to see Nicole in hers. But apparently she would have to wait a little longer.

“Nicole had to get there a little early since she’s helping with the ceremony,” Jimmy explained, taking Waverly’s bag from her. “You can ride with us,” he said, gesturing at Edie, who was back in town from Vancouver.

“She asked me to give you this,” Edie said, handing Waverly a sealed envelope. Her name was written on the outside in Nicole’s hand.

They had to get going, so Waverly didn’t have chance to open the envelope until she was sitting in the back of Edie’s car. Inside was a short, handwritten note along with a plastic key card.

_Waverly, I apologize if this is presumptuous, and I wanted to give you time to consider it before we see each other. I booked a room at The Reardon for tonight. You have the only key. I would like to stay there with you, but it is, as always, entirely up to you._

It was signed with a heart and Nicole’s initials. Waverly reread the note and absentmindedly turning the keycard over and over in her free hand. Then she glanced out the window and smiled.

xxxxx

Waverly sat with Edie and Jimmy’s relatives. Edie demeanor toward Waverly was noticeably warmer than it was two weeks ago, much to Waverly’s relief. She entertained Waverly with stories about Jimmy’s large and boisterous family as they waited for the ceremony to start.

As the cadets marched in, Nicole was easy to spot, even with her red hair mostly hidden under her cap. Nicole had her hair in a braid, a style that Waverly had never actually seen her wear before, but even from a distance, she could tell Nicole looked gorgeous.

Nicole had, as Jimmy predicted, graduated at the top of her class, and she was the first to receive her badge. She got a big cheer from her fellow cadets, as well as Waverly, Edie, and Jimmy’s family, causing her cheeks to turn almost as red as her hair. Nicole stayed on stage and helped with the rest of the ceremony, handing badges over to her sergeant before they were pinned on the cadets. After Jimmy received his badge and saluted the sergeant, he and Nicole embraced. Nicole had told her that they had both dreamed of this day, and of doing it together, since their sophomore year of college.

After the ceremony, everyone was ushered into a different room for a reception. The cadets (now officers) were already inside when Waverly and Edie filed in with the rest of the crowd. Waverly looked around for Nicole, but Nicole spotted her first.

“Waverly!” She barely had time to register Nicole’s form before she was engulfed in a hug and lifted off the ground. Nicole spun her around twice before lowering her back down.

Waverly caught her breath and looked up. She had never seen Nicole smile so brightly. She hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to give Nicole a kiss. Most of the cadets knew about them, but Waverly was uncertain of the boundaries at an official function.

Nicole apparently had no such qualms, leaning down and kissing her. “I’m so happy you are here,” Nicole added with a smile. “You look amazing.”

Waverly had fretted over her outfit all morning, even forcing Gus to come upstairs multiple times to provide her opinion. She ultimately chose a short, dark green velvet dress with a sweetheart neckline that she wore over a long-sleeved top that was made of black mesh and embellished with rhinestones. Her hair was in a loose half-braid that fell over her left shoulder.

“Thanks,” Waverly replied. She took a step back so she could better admire Nicole in her dress uniform. “I could get used to this,” she said, running her hands up Nicole’s arms.

“Haught!” Someone shouted. Nicole glanced over. It was Buck, motioning her over to be in a picture.

“Go. I'll get us some drinks,” Waverly said, shooing her away. Nicole gave her a quick kiss before leaving.

After visiting the bar, Waverly scanned the room. She spotted Nicole talking to an older officer who had an impressive array of pins and patches on his jacket. Nicole saw her too and waved her over.

“Waverly, this is Captain Lopez,” Nicole said as she took one of the drinks from Waverly. “Captain, this is my girlfriend Waverly.”

_Girlfriend?_ Waverly realized it was the first either of them had used that term, and she definitely liked the sound of it.

Waverly shook hands with the captain, who she knew to be Nicole’s mentor at the academy. He and Nicole discussed what rotations she would be on during the next six months of field training. He explained to Waverly that Nicole had her pick because she had graduated top of her class.

“I just hope we don't lose you,” he added. “You could have a bright future in the BCPD, Nicole. I could get you fast-tracked to detective.”

“Thank you, sir,” she replied with a nervous glance at Waverly.

“Now if you ladies will excuse me, I need to go shake some hands. Nice to meet you, Waverly.”

The reception wound down, and the young officers all started heading to The Bullhorn, as was customary for new graduates.

“We don't have to go,” Nicole said as they walked, hand-in-hand, to Edie’s car. “We can go have a nice dinner somewhere.”

She rolled her eyes. “Nicole, it's tradition. We’re going.” She playfully shoved Nicole toward the car.

At The Bullhorn, the merriment was infectious. Waverly smiled as Buck stood on a barstool and started another round of singing. Nicole managed to escape and brought their second round of drinks over to the booth where Waverly was sitting. They toasted and took a sip, then Waverly leaned over.

“Last drink,” she said in Nicole’s ear.

Nicole leaned back and looked at her. “Okay. Are you sure you’ll be okay to drive home? We can go grab a proper meal first.”

Waverly put her face in her palm and shook her head. Nicole could be strangely obtuse sometimes, which Waverly found endearing. She reached into her purse, pulled the keycard out, and laid it on the table.

xxxxx

They took a quick detour by Nicole’s apartment to pick up Waverly’s bag and pack one for Nicole. (Nicole had not presumed to pack one because _of course_.) As Nicole was throwing some things into a bag, she wondered aloud if she should change out of her uniform before they left.

“You’d better not,” Waverly said with a smirk.

Minutes later, they were in the back of a cab, headed to The Reardon. They held hands, and Waverly rested her head against Nicole’s shoulder.

“So I debated this hotel thing all week,” Nicole said quietly. “I just thought a little privacy would be nice. But are you sure this is okay?”

“Nicole,” Waverly replied sharply as she grabbed Nicole’s hand and gave it a squeeze, efficiently ending the conversation. Despite her outward demeanor, Waverly _was_ nervous. Who wouldn’t be? Yet she felt certain that she wanted this, that she was ready. She knew Nicole would be patient and tender and show Waverly what she didn’t already. And that certainty, that knowledge, was more than enough to overcome a few nerves.

Waverly wasn’t sure she could put that into words, so she simply lifted their hands and planted a soft kiss on the back of Nicole’s, then snuggled in a little bit closer.

The Reardon was an old, swanky hotel over near the museum. The lobby was mostly marble and had a grand piano in the middle of it, which was being played by a woman in a sequined dress. The concierge gave them a nod as they walked by. A bellhop offered to help with their bags but they declined.

When they reached their room, Waverly unlocked the door and led Nicole inside. Waverly hung up her coat in the closet by the door while Nicole carried their bags into the room.

“Champagne?” Waverly heard Nicole say as she was closing the closet. She stepped properly into the room. There was a large tray on a stand next to the bed, adorned with an ice bucket, two flutes and a covered platter. Nicole lifted the cover, revealing a spread of cheese, fruit and sweets.

Nicole looked back at Waverly, who was trying to look innocent.

“You?” Nicole asked.

Waverly nodded.

“When?”

“I called about two minutes after I read your note.”

Without a word, Nicole pulled Waverly to her and kissed her with a fury that Waverly knew had been bubbling just beneath the surface for the last two weeks, that had only been held in check by Nicole’s seemingly superhuman self control. It took Waverly a second to match the intensity, but once she did, she temporarily lost all sense of time and space.

As wonderful as Nicole looked in her uniform, Waverly could not wait to be rid of the thick and bulky material. The buttons on the jacket were tricky so Nicole undid them herself. After Nicole carefully hung the jacket on the back of a chair, Waverly pulled her back and started in on the buttons on her shirt, keeping her eyes on Nicole’s the whole time. Once she was done, Waverly pressed her lips to Nicole’s now-exposed breastbone.

In response, Nicole kissed Waverly’s neck and turned her. Her fingers hovered on the zipper at the back of Waverly’s dress. Waverly could sense a question lingering and nodded. Nicole undid the zipper slowly. Waverly shrugged her arms out of her dress, and it pooled on the floor. Then Nicole slid her hands under the back of Waverly’s mesh top, and slowly removed it as she spun Waverly back around.

Waverly drew Nicole into a kiss and started in on her belt. She could feel Nicole slip out of her shoes just before Waverly freed her pants from her hips. Without breaking their kiss, they side-stepped over to the bed, Nicole somehow shedding her socks in the process.

Although they had made out in the bed with next-to-nothing on before, and their climbing outfits didn’t leave much to the imagination, this was the first time Waverly was really seeing Nicole. Her body was gorgeous, toned but soft, and her legs somehow seemed longer when they were bare. Waverly couldn’t wait to explore every inch of them.  
  
Nicole sat on the end of the bed, and started to pull Waverly down with her, but Waverly remained standing. Nicole looked up questioningly. Waverly fingered the top of her tights. “Sorry, not a sexy way to get these things off,” she said, feeling shy for the first time the whole evening.

“I very much disagree,” Nicole said with a husky voice. She took one of Waverly’s hands and pulled her closer, then kissed the exposed part of Waverly’s stomach just under her ribs. Waverly felt Nicole’s fingers curl under the top of the waistband, and she started slowly lowering the tights. When Nicole kissed her again, just below her belly button, Waverly gasped a little.

Nicole looked up, seeking permission. Waverly nodded. Her fingers still on Waverly’s waist, Nicole stood, spun them around, and then lowered Waverly onto the bed. Nicole leaned over her and resumed her task, slowly sliding Waverly’s tights down her legs, punctuating each couple inches with a kiss. Waverly laid back with her eyes closed, thinking that she might come undone right then and there.

When her tights were off, Waverly opened her eyes and propped herself up on her elbows. “Jesus, Waverly,” Nicole said appreciatively as scanned her body and crawled onto the bed beside her. Waverly hadn’t been particularly worried about it, but it was still nice to know Nicole liked what she saw. Then Nicole leaned down and kissed her, and they scooted up further on the bed in a synchronized dance, without breaking apart. When they settled, Waverly remained on her back, while Nicole laid on her side, flush with Waverly, one leg draped over hers.

Their kiss built slowly as they opened their mouths to each other. Nicole’s free hand wandered lazily, caressing her neck, dancing across her ribs, tracing circles around her belly button, holding her hip. Lower and lower it traveled, but never quite low enough. Waverly squirmed from the ecstasy of the build up and the agony of unmet desire, which she supposed was exactly was Nicole was going for.

Waverly’s slid a hand down to Nicole’s hip. She gave a little tug, which she hoped Nicole understood. She clearly did, as a moment later, Nicole was on top of her fully, one leg between Waverly’s thighs. The added weight and pressure sent a new charge through Waverly. She smiled as they kissed and felt Nicole smile too.

“Can I -- ?” Waverly asked, as she fingered the clasp of Nicole’s bra. Nicole nodded, moving her lips to Waverly’s neck. Waverly managed to undo the clasp more adeptly than she had anticipated. Nicole freed herself from the garment without breaking her stride.

Waverly ran her hands to Nicole’s breasts. She had touched them before, but only over Nicole’s bra or through a tank top. But she had a pretty good idea from those previous explorations what Nicole liked, how she liked to be touched, so she pinched one of the taut nipples, hard.

Nicole rose up on one arm and looked down at her.

Waverly was feeling bold. “You like that?” She asked.

“I do,” Nicole replied with a smile before capturing Waverly’s lips with her own. Waverly resumed her attentions to Nicole’s breasts, delighting in the reactions she could draw from her girlfriend with the right touch.

It was all lovely and tender and new, but after a while, Waverly started to grow impatient, the throbbing between her thighs growing stronger by the minute. Nicole must have sensed it. She hooked her fingers under the band of Waverly’s underwear and slowly kissed her way down Waverly’s torso.

“Waverly?” She heard the question in Nicole’s voice right before she softly planted a kiss on Waverly’s hipbone. Waverly squirmed, her hips bucking reflexively. She thought that was answer enough, but Nicole looked up at her anyway.

Waverly nodded desperately and let out a “please” that was no louder than a whisper.

Nicole slowly slid Waverly’s underwear off her completely, then removed her own. Waverly had just enough composure left to unhook her own bra and shrug it free.

Once Nicole was back within reach, Waverly’s hands went to Nicole’s hair. She freeing it from the braid as gently as she could, pulling out a few bobby pins here and there. Nicole hovered above her, her eyes fixed on Waverly. When she was done, Waverly pulled Nicole down to her and kissed her deeply, enjoying the feeling of running her hands freely through Nicole’s mane of red hair as their bodies pressed together without obstruction. Nicole’s leg was back between Waverly’s thighs, and she had to know how wet Waverly was, how ready.

Waverly felt that pressure ease as Nicole kissed her way down to Waverly’s breasts. As she sucked on a nipple, Nicole rested a hand on Waverly’s hip, her thumb lightly brushing the curls of hair at the edge of Waverly’s slick heat.

“Nicole,” said Waverly in between kisses.

“I know,” Nicole replied, and then she moved her hand between them, her thumb caressing Waverly’s clit, wet with want, throbbing with need. Waverly threw her head back and her hips rose slightly, but Nicole held them down, which only increased the pleasure. Waverly’s fingernails dug into Nicole’s shoulder.

Waverly wanted more, immediately, but Nicole seemed content to tease her a bit. Waverly thought she might go crazy, but she had relinquished control.

Then Nicole slid a finger inside, sending a whole new wave of pleasure through her. When she added another, Waverly was sure she would be done at any moment. But Nicole kept the pace slow and brought her back from the edge. Nicole climbed back up her body and kissed her tenderly for a few minutes before she started building Waverly’s back up, adding pace and pressure.

Waverly couldn’t bear it any longer. She broke from their kiss and whispered “I need to.”

“Okay,” Nicole replied. It all happened rather quickly after that. And at the critical moment, Waverly let out a loud moan, and her body shuddered. Nicole maintained her attentions, bringing Waverly back down slowly. Then she gave Waverly a quick kiss before rolling onto her back and laying next to her.

Waverly’s body was was practically vibrating with pleasure. She looked over at Nicole. Her brow was wet with perspiration, her red hair a tangled mess. She raised eyebrows.

“Oh my God,” Waverly exclaimed between breaths, eliciting a little laugh from Nicole.

It was worth the wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise? I hope it was worth the wait to get this fic to mature. Was the hotel a bit much? Maybe. But it was fun to write so I went for it. And I know it was just two weeks since they got together, but Nicole can't fight Waverly off forever. ;)
> 
> Update transparency: We are nearing the end of what I had planned for this fic. But it seems like people are enjoying it (and I am enjoying writing it), so I have been developed another part to the story. You can expect at least two more updates before Christmas, but then it'll be at least a couple weeks before I start posting again. As you can tell, I like to update frequently, so I want to make sure I have plenty in the hopper before I start posting the second half. I do plan to post another short one-shot over the holidays.


	10. Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected visitor comes to town.

****Over the next few weeks, Nicole and Waverly spent as much as many waking moments (and many non-waking ones) together as they could. It was a busy time for both of them, with Nicole starting her first rotation in the field, and Waverly gearing up for finals. But they made it work best they could.

Being with Nicole required some adjustments. Waverly had to work harder at being a good girlfriend to Nicole than she had ever had to with Champ. Nicole was unfailingly observant, so Waverly tried to be too. Nicole liked to use a certain coffee mug every morning, so Waverly made sure it was washed and ready for the next day if Nicole left her apartment before Waverly did. If they were ordering Chinese food, Waverly knew to ask for a couple extra packets of soy sauce for Nicole. And she realized that Nicole did not particularly like to talk about her work day right away, so if Nicole called her after a shift, Waverly knew she preferred to be distracted first, to hear about Waverly’s day. Eventually, Nicole would open up.

It was all just research, Waverly decided, an anthropological study of a person she could no longer imagine her life without.

There were other adjustments, of course. Their first few times together, Nicole had, quite understandably, taken the lead. And despite Nicole’s assurances that there was no rush, Waverly felt the urge to return the favor. So she paid attention, and she learned, and then one morning, as Nicole slept soundly next to her, Waverly decided it was time. When Nicole finally stirred awake, Waverly made her intentions clear, rolling on top. As Nicole looked up at her, with a little extra glimmer in her eyes, it was all the encouragement she needed.

Waverly took things slow, kissing and touching the sensitive areas on Nicole’s body that she had already discovered, and as things built, she enjoyed the way Nicole wordlessly begged to be touched _there_. And when Waverly finally did, first running her thumb across Nicole’s slick heat and then venturing one finger, and then two, inside her, Waverly reveled in the feeling of Nicole slowly coming undone around her. And with a few helpful suggestions from Nicole, Waverly made her come. She never wanted forget the look on Nicole’s face or the way she whispered “Waverly” in that moment.

xxxxx

After finals, Waverly had a few weeks off from school, and she was looking forward to having more time to spend with Nicole. But with Christmas just a week away, she started to miss her sister more and more. She was desperate to hear from Wynonna, to know she was okay, and to tell her about Nicole. Her aunt and uncle knew, of course, as did Shorty, but she wanted to tell Wynonna herself, before she heard it through the grapevine.

With no other way to reach her sister, Waverly wrote Wynonna an email, telling her that she was dating the cop that they had talked about last time they spoke. She even included a picture, a selfie that she and Nicole had taken after their last indoor climb together.

That was a week ago, and Wynonna had still not responded. Was Wynonna upset? That she was with a woman? It didn't seem to fit with what she knew about her sister, but they hadn't actually talked about it before. Was it the cop thing? Or maybe Wynonna hadn't seen the email? She checked with Gus, and she hadn’t heard from Wynonna either. Waverly started to worry that something bad had happened.

Then one morning, as she was walking out an early morning yoga class, Waverly got a call from Nicole.

“Are you working today?” Nicole asked, with an odd tone.

"Not until tonight. I do have time for a quick trip to the city if you have something in mind," she said suggestively. "But I thought you had a shift today?"

"I do. But, well, someone is here who needs a ride," Nicole said cryptically.

Waverly heard a shout in the background. "I can take the bus!"

"WYNONNA!"

Waverly heard Nicole laugh at the other end of the phone.

xxxxx

Waverly took a quick shower and drove to the Big City. Nicole sent her a text, saying she had to get to work but Wynonna would meet her at Figaro's.

When Waverly arrived at the coffee shop, she found her sister tucked into a booth, nursing a large coffee. From what Nicole had told her, Wynonna had really tied one on last night, but she looked no worse for wear. She had on a black leather jacket over a vintage t-shirt, boots and jeans. Her mane of dark brown hair looked as gorgeous as ever.

“Pull up some vinyl, baby girl,” Wynonna said with a smirk. But Waverly attacked her in the booth with a hug. “I’ve missed you too,” Wynonna said as she patted Waverly on the back.

Waverly went up and ordered a latte, and then settled into the booth across from her sister. “So are you going to explain how in the world you came to spend the night at my girlfriend's apartment?"

"Oh don't worry, nothing happened. Not that I didn't try," Wynonna said with a shrug.

“Wynonna!” Waverly said loudly enough that it drew the attention of half the coffee shop. “But seriously,” she added, much quieter.

“Oh, you know, I just happened to run into her at a bar last night, and we got to talking. It’s all a bit of a blur after that,” Wynonna said vaguely.

Waverly leaned back and crossed her arms, waiting for her sister to tell her the real story. Wynonna gave in, explaining that after she got Waverly’s email, she decided to come home for Christmas after all. She flew into the city yesterday and decided to check out her sister’s new girlfriend before heading to Purgatory.

“How did you even find her?”

“I had her name and her picture and knew she's a Big City cop. Pretty easy to track her down with that if you know the right people. Or the wrong ones, in this case.”

_Dear lord_. “And you followed her?”

“Well yeah.” Wynonna shrugged. “She walked out of her building with this pretty black gal. Seemed like maybe she was running around on you.”

“That's her roommate's girlfriend.” Waverly knew that Edie was also on break from school and was in town for the holidays.

“Well I know that _now_ ,” Wynonna said defensively. “Anyway, when your girl came up to the bar to order a drink, I flirted with her a little just to see what would happen.” Wynonna said all of this as if it was totally normal to stalk your sister’s girlfriend _and then hit on her._

Waverly could not believe her ears. “But I still don’t understand how you --? You know what? Nevermind. Let’s get going.”

xxxxx

Later that day, Waverly called Nicole during a break from work and got more details on the entire affair.

“Did Wynonna really hit on you?”

Nicole laughed. "Yes. She offered to buy me a drink and tried some cheesy pick up line. Edie and I were cracking up about.”

“Oh my god. I am so sorry. So when did she tell you she was my sister?”

“She didn’t. I figured it out. A little bit later, I went up to the bar to get another drink, and I heard her introduce herself to some guy. Then I heard her say something about Europe, and I certain she was _your_ Wynonna. So I bought her a drink, and we hung out.”

“Did she know that you knew?”

“Nope. She was pretty sauced at this point and started asking me all sorts pretty personal stuff, so I played along for a bit. Then I started to tell her about this thing my girlfriend did to me the other night, and she fessed up immediately.”

“You didn’t!”

“Oh you bet I did,” Nicole said.

“But you didn’t actually?” Waverly asked nervously.

“Of course not, Wave.” Nicole chuckled. “That’s our little secret.” Waverly could practically hear Nicole winking at her over the phone, and her cheeks burned.

Waverly needed more answers, but her break was almost over so it would have to wait. “Hey, I’ve got to get back to work. You’re still coming up the day after tomorrow?

“I’ll be there,” Nicole replied. “I can’t wait.”

xxxxx

It was the day before Christmas Eve, and Nicole would be arriving any minute. She was borrowing Edie’s car and driving up straight after her shift. Waverly had her for less than 18 hours. Nicole had to return to the Big City to work on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Waverly had everything planned, but that was before Wynonna showed up. She was obviously thrilled that Wynonna was back in Purgatory for the holidays, but her sister tended to wreak havoc when she was around. Waverly hoped that havoc would not be in the general direction of her new relationship.

Gus was working tonight, and Curtis was playing poker with some buddies, so Waverly borrowed their kitchen to make a nice Christmas dinner for Nicole. Wynonna hung out with her all afternoon while she cooked. They reminisced about various Christmases from their childhood, which ran the gamut from decent to downright unpleasant. It was nice to joke about it with someone else who was there. It took some of the sting off the bad memories.

Nicole showed up right on time, with a nice bottle of wine and her dimples in tow. She was wearing the same blazer she had worn on their first visit to the history museum over a blue top, with jeans and boots. Even after the long ride, her hair was still a little damp.

“Sorry, I didn’t have time to dry my hair. I got caught up finishing a report and was running behind. I didn’t want to be late.”

“You look great.” Waverly craned her neck and gave Nicole a quick kiss. But they both lingered, and then went in for another, more serious one. When they finally broke apart, Nicole backed up and took in Waverly’s outfit. She had her hair pulled back into a tight ponytail and was wearing a short grey dress that was studded with white sequins in the shape of snowflakes. “And you look --”

“Like an oversized Christmas ornament!” Wynonna shouted from the living room.

Nicole nodded in agreement, to which Waverly responded with a playful pinch. “But also very beautiful,” she added.

“Wynonna,” Nicole said, matter-of-fact, as as they walked into the living room.

“Haught,” Wynonna replied in the same tone.

“So are you joining us for dinner?”

“No. No she is not.” Waverly said a little too quickly.

“I come all this way, and this is the way you treat me?” Wynonna said, feigning indignation as she pushed herself off the couch. “Well I can take a hint. You ladies have a nice evening.” As Wynonna put on her coat, she added, “Just no funny business on the table. I have to eat breakfast off that thing tomorrow.”

Waverly heard Nicole mutter “no promises” behind her and felt a blush rising in her cheeks, so she told Wynonna she loved her and shoved her unceremoniously out the door.

With Wynonna not there to disrupt things, Waverly and Nicole had a lovely dinner. Waverly had made a proper holiday feast: a roast with dill gravy, scalloped potatoes, green beans, and homemade bread. And to top it all off, she had a cheesecake waiting for them at her apartment. They lingered over their meal, eating and drinking slowly as they swapped stories and talked about their favorite Christmas movies and foods. But they both avoided saying too much about their families, which had been an unspoken agreement between them since the first time they hung out at Figaro’s.

Waverly was desperate to know more about Nicole’s relationship with her parents, why it had soured. But then Nicole might ask about her parents, about her father’s death. The only time they had spoken of Ward, Waverly had been vague about how he died. She didn’t want to lie to Nicole about it, but Wynonna’s involvement (and the false rumors about her) and Willa’s disappearance were upsetting to even think about, let alone say out loud. And there were aspects of that night that were in decidedly crazy-town territory.

“Mmmmmmm,” Nicole said as she soaked up the last bit of gravy on her plate with some bread. “Thank you so much for dinner. This was wonderful.”

“You’re welcome. It was nice to be able to cook for you for a change.” As much fun as they had together in the Big City, it did feel nice to spend time with Nicole in Purgatory.

“So I know the table’s off limits, but how about some cuddling on the couch while we watch a Christmas movie?” Nicole said as Waverly cleared the table.

“Actually, how do you feel about going into town? I thought we could drive around and check out Christmas lights.” Waverly leaned over and suggested, “Then we can head over to my place for cheesecake.”

“I like the sound of that.” Nicole helped her clean up the kitchen, and then she drove them into town in Edie’s car. Later, as they were checking out the Christmas light extravaganza over on Cherry Street, Waverly got a text from Gus:

> **[Sent by Gus at 10:17 PM:]** Can you come get your sister. She’s in no condition to drive, and I’m about to kick her out before she starts a fight.

When they arrived at Shorty’s, Wynonna was arguing with an older man at the bar about God-knows-what. Waverly exchanged a glance with Gus, sat on the stool next to her sister, and told her it was time to get going.

“Oh come on, join me for a drink. You too, Haught tamale,” she replied with a slur, waving over Nicole, who was waiting by the door.

“You’re done for the night, Wynonna,” Gus said.

“So much for family,” Wynonna replied as she twirled around on her barstool, leapt off, and then headed for the door. Waverly grabbed Wynonna’s coat, which she had left on a nearby table, and swiped the keys to her Jeep out of the pocket.

Once outside, they walked toward Edie’s car. But when Waverly and Nicole stopped, Wynonna kept going.

“Wynonna,” Waverly said impatiently.

Her sister twirled around. “Oh come on, let’s go get one drink. The Ace is still open.”

Waverly looked over at Nicole, who shrugged, leaving the decision to Waverly.

“Fine. One drink,” Waverly said with a huff.

The Ace was a small hole-in-the-wall bar a couple blocks over. It was nearly empty when they arrived, save for a couple regulars at the bar. Wynonna ordered them a round of whiskeys, and they sat in one of the wooden booths along the wall, Waverly and Nicole sharing one side and Wynonna sprawled out along the other, her feet up on the seat.

They sipped their drinks in silence for a bit, and then Nicole asked Wynonna if she had any big plans while she was in town.

“Big plans? Not sure anything you can get up to in Purgatory would qualify,” Wynonna said dismissively.

“Waverly is coming to the Big City next week for an Outlaws game. I bet I could get an extra ticket if you’d like to come.”

“Since when are you a basketball fan?” Wynonna asked Waverly with narrowed eyes.

“We went a game a couple weeks ago. It was fun. Jimmy’s brother plays on the team.”

“Jimmy’s my roommate,” Nicole clarified.

“Oh I know. I never forget a six pack. Or was it eight?" Wynonna said with a wiggle of her eyebrows. Neither Waverly nor Nicole reacted.

Wynonna looked back over at Waverly. “So all of a sudden you’re into rock climbing _and_ basketball. Sort of like how you were into rodeo and video games when you were with Champ?”

It was said with a smile, but the comment stung. Out of the corner of her eye, Waverly saw Nicole frown.

“Finish your drink, we’re taking you home,” Waverly said angrily as she stood up from the booth. She grabbed Nicole’s hand and helped her up. Wynonna gave Waverly a hard look, drank the rest of her whiskey in one slow gulp, then dramatically plopped her empty glass upside down on the table.

Waverly held Nicole’s hand tightly until they got to the car. Her sister lingered on the sidewalk. Nicole opened up the back door on her side and spoke for the first time since they left The Ace. “Wynonna, get in the car. Or I’ll drag you over here like I dragged you out of that bar in the Big City.”

“You gonna handcuff me, _officer_?” Wynonna replied, her voice oozing sarcasm. But she sauntered over and slid into the back seat. Nicole and Waverly exchanged a look over the roof of the car, and then they both got in.

On the car ride back to Gus’ house, the radio was still tuned to a station playing Christmas music, but the mood in the car was not a festive one. Waverly was annoyed with her sister and worried about Nicole’s reaction to her comment about Champ. When they arrived at the house, Waverly quickly marched her sister inside, texted Gus, and then walked back out to the car.

“Sorry,” Waverly said as she got back in and buckled her seat belt. “Wynonna is a bit much, especially when she drinks.”

“I’m well aware.” Nicole said as she turned the car around. After she maneuvered onto the road, Nicole stuck out her hand. Waverly took it gratefully.

“Still up for some dessert?” Waverly asked.

“And then cheesecake,” Nicole replied with a grin.

xxxxx

The next morning, they sat on Waverly’s bed and exchanged Christmas presents. Nicole had complained about her pasta roller, so Waverly got her a new one. “I’ll admit, it’s a bit of a self-serving gift,” Waverly said.

“It’s perfect. I can’t wait to use it. Now open yours.”

Waverly excitedly ripped off the wrapping paper and opened the box. It was a new climbing harness. Waverly was giddy.

“So you like it?”

“Of course. I was starting to feel guilty about borrowing Bea’s all the time.”

“Good. I thought you were enjoying the climbing,” Nicole said, her eyes drifting down. Waverly knew Nicole had Wynonna’s comment last night in the back of her mind. They hadn’t actually talked about it yet.

Waverly put a hand on Nicole’s cheek, and Nicole looked back up at her. “Nicole, I love . . . it.” Waverly’s choice of words hovered between them for a moment before they both looked away shyly.

Waverly glanced at the clock. “When do you have to leave? Do we have time?”

Nicole answered the question with a kiss. Wrapping paper crinkled beneath them as they shed some clothing and repositioned themselves on the bed. Waverly ended up on Nicole’s lap, her legs around Nicole’s waist. Nicole’s was sucking on one of Waverly’s nipples and running a hand slowly up the inside of one of her thighs when there was a knock on the door.

“Waverly, I come in peace. And with donuts.” Wynonna said through the door. Waverly looked down at Nicole.

“We can ignore her,” she whispered. She was still miffed about last night, and these were her last moments with Nicole for almost a week.

“Waverly,” Nicole said.

“Okay fine.” She climbed off Nicole and retrieved her shirt from the floor.

Nicole got up and grabbed her duffle bag. “I’m going to hop in the shower. Save me a donut?” Nicole said, and then she ducked into the bathroom.

Waverly put on her shirt and a pair of shorts and went over and opened the door. Wynonna was sitting on the hallway floor, eating a donut from the open box next to her.

“Sorry, I wasn’t sure how long you’d be doing whatever you were doing,” she said, gesturing with the donut in her hand. Waverly rolled her eyes and left the door open for her.

Wynonna put the rest of the donut between her teeth and extricated herself from the floor, then grabbed the box and the carrier of coffees and brought them into Waverly’s apartment. She set them down on the table and handed Waverly one of the drinks.

“Thanks,” Waverly said without much sincerity. For a few minutes, they drank their coffee in silence.

“Look, I know I was a pain in the ass last night so just let me have it,” Wynonna said as she sat down in one of the chairs at the table.

Waverly crossed her arms. “It was really unfair what you said. Nicole is nothing like Champ. And we don’t go to basketball games and climb just because she wants to. I like to do those things too.”

“I just don’t want you making the same mistakes you made with Champ.”

“It’s completely different.”

“Well you moved on so quickly. Wouldn’t hurt for you to be single for a while.”

“Can’t you just be happy for me?”

“That’s all I want for you, to be happy.”

“Well I am. The happiest.”

“Okay then,” Wynonna said, throwing her hands up.

Waverly heard the water turn off. Wynonna finished her donut, and Waverly sipped her coffee. A few minutes later, Nicole emerged from the bathroom. She glanced at Waverly, who was still standing with her arms crossed. She seemed to pick up on the mood of the room immediately.

“One of these for me?” Nicole asked nonchalantly, glancing at the two coffees still sitting in the carrier.

“Both, actually. I thought you could use an extra since I know you have a long drive home this morning, and I probably kept you up later than you wanted to be last night.” Waverly knew it was as close to an apology as Nicole was likely to get from Wynonna.

“Great, thanks.” Nicole opened the box of donuts, picked up one with sprinkles, and handed it to Waverly. Then she grabbed one with chocolate icing for herself and sat down at the table. “And actually, it was your sister who kept me up late, and I didn’t mind at all.” Nicole kept her gaze on Wynonna and took a big bite of her donut.

For once in her life, Wynonna didn't have a snappy comeback.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this chapter was fun to read because it was super fun to write. It’s obviously off-canon to have Wynonna come back to Purgatory at this point, but I just had to bring her back. WynHaught is gold, in my opinion. I cannot wait for more next season. And of course Wynonna needed to do some WayHaught interrupting.
> 
> In case you missed the update on the last chapter: I'll be posting one more chapter before Christmas, and then it'll be several weeks before I start posting the next part of this fic. I hope the next chapter will give you a flavor of where things will be going and get you excited to read it.


	11. Perspective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anyone curious what Nicole's been thinking? I was!

 

The first time Nicole saw her, she was leaning on a pool cue, laughing. Her eyes were crinkled, her smile wide. Then her expression became serious as she lined up a shot. As she leaned over the table, a strand of her long brown hair fell over her face, and she paused to tuck it behind her ear. The girl sunk a ball into a corner pocket and gave a little fist pump.

_ Adorable. _

From where she was sitting at the bar, Nicole tried to watch without staring. There were all sorts of beautiful girls in the Big City that caught her eye, but the way she felt immediately drawn to this one felt a little different. 

“Haught,” she heard Cody, the bartender, shout. Nicole reluctantly took her eyes off the girl, and turned to find the two pitchers of beer she ordered sitting on the bar. She picked them up, glanced one more time at the pretty brunette, and then headed back to her friends. Nicole tried to be social, but she couldn't help but glance over at the pool tables. She took a sip of her beer and got back up, resolved to introduce herself. What was the harm?  But in the time it took her to maneuver around other patrons between her and the pool tables, the girl disappeared. She wasn’t at the bar either.  _ Well shit. _ Nicole felt a little silly going right back to her table so she decided to visit the bathroom.

When she got to the hallway and saw the girl, Nicole felt like perhaps fate was on her side. But there was a boy there too, tall and skinny, standing close to the girl, in the otherwise empty hallway. Nicole almost turned around, but something about the boy made her uneasy, so she approached, unnoticed by either of them. She heard him mention a movie, heard the girl say she’d think about it, and then he grabbed her wrist. Without thinking, Nicole sprung into action. Moments later, she inexplicably found herself locked in the bathroom with this girl.

With Waverly. That was the girl’s name.

The rest of the evening, Nicole got little signs that there might be something there, that her interest might be reciprocated. The way Waverly shifted her hips into her when Nicole caught her after she stumbled. The way Waverly blushed and looked away when Nicole touched her knee. The way Waverly leaned in close to whisper in her ear, even when they were the only two people left at the table. 

Waverly, Waverly, Waverly. Nicole already felt a little drunk on her.

They were walking to Waverly’s car, and Nicole was about to ask her out, when fate intervened again, in the form of Buck, who was drunk in the usual way. Nicole went to help him, Jimmy appeared, and just like that, Waverly was driving away. And Nicole didn’t have her number. 

Later that night, as she laid in bed, Nicole did some quick Googling. “Waverly Earp,” she said to herself as she read one of the _Purgatory Times_ articles that popped up from her search. It was about the Purgatory High prom from a few years ago. There was a picture of Waverly in a pretty dress, her arm looped through that of a boy next to her. She was wearing a tiara and a sash that said “Prom Queen.” Nicole smiled at what was considered news in a small town. She tried a few more links and discovered Waverly was also valedictorian, which didn't surprise her at all. You didn’t have to talk to Waverly very long to see out how smart she was, how inquisitive, and it made her all the more intriguing.

Nicole had told Waverly that the cadets went to The Bullhorn every Thursday, and she hoped Waverly might show up the following Thursday. But she didn’t. Done relying on fate, Nicole decided to quickly organize a Saturday climbing trip with some of her cadet buddies. Only Jimmy knew the real reason they were headed to Purgatory, and he was always game to help her.  

It was all going according to plan -- even better actually. Waverly was excited to see her, and then there was that moment when Waverly was holding her hand after replacing Nicole’s bandage. There was _definitely_ something there. 

Nicole was about to ask Waverly for her number when the boyfriend appeared, the one Waverly hadn’t bothered to mention in the hours they had spent together at the bar. It was a little bit confusing, a whole lot disappointing, and almost enough to make Nicole forget the whole thing. But it was too strong to ignore, this connection, so she decided to leave a note, asking Waverly to coffee, putting the ball in her court.

Nicole was giddy when Waverly texted her later that night and agreed to meet up for coffee. Their exchange remained on neutral ground until Nicole couldn’t help herself, sending a text about having a lady waiting for her in bed. She waited as long as she could (which wasn’t long) to send the explanatory picture of Calamity Jane. But she figured she had gotten her point across, just in case it wasn’t clear, that she was into girls.

It was certainly encouraging when, just an hour later, Waverly initiated another exchange. It made Nicole’s head spin just a little, the fact that Waverly was lying in bed, thinking about her, wondering about her last name, and then just had to text her about it. After they said goodnight for the second time, Nicole went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. Jimmy was still up, watching a movie in the living room. She told him about the texting and coffee.

“So today was worth it?” He asked with a smile.

“Definitely.”

xxxxx

Nicole she felt a little ashamed. She could have stopped it from happening. There was a moment, just after Waverly put her hand to the back of her neck, that Nicole could have pulled away. But she didn't. Instead, she held her breath and let Waverly kiss her. It immediately felt wrong, that it was happening like this, so she backed away. When Waverly looked up at her with glassy eyes under heavy lids, Nicole couldn't quite read her expression.

“You should get some sleep,” Nicole said quietly. Then she turned around and saw Edie standing in the doorway, her eyebrows raised.

Nicole stood in the kitchen, rubbing her eyes. It had been a long night. Edie was next to her, at the sink, filling a couple glasses with water from the tap.

“Thanks,” Nicole said when Edie handed her a glass.

Edie leaned back against the sink and nudged Nicole with her shoulder. “You want to talk about it?” She asked.

“Not particularly.” 

“Is that the first time?”

“Yes.”

“So does that mean?”

“No clue. You saw her. She could barely keep her eyes open.”

“And Shae?”

“I’m telling her tomorrow at dinner.”

“Good. So what was the deal with  _that_ kiss?” 

Nicole looked over at Edie. “You saw that one too?”

“Nicole Haught getting kissed by two girls in one night? Feels like sophomore year all over again,” Edie said with laugh. 

Nicole laughed too. “That was a good year,” she said with a wistful smile. And it had been. It was before Shae, before everything with her parents. She was just a carefree co-ed.

“Well goodnight to you and your girl drama,” Edie said as she walked out of the kitchen.

Nicole checked on Waverly one last time. She left a glass of water and some aspiring on the nightstand, then grabbed her running stuff for the morning. She knew she did the right thing, not kissing Waverly back. Waverly was so far gone that Jimmy had had to carry her inside from the cab. 

Afterwards, Nicole laid on the couch, thinking about that moment last week at the climbing gym. She should have just kissed Waverly then and there, the boyfriend and her principles be damned. There was no doubt in her mind that Waverly wanted her to. It was agonizing, holding Waverly in her arms, their faces inches apart, and doing nothing. But Nicole was determined to wait for Waverly to make the first move. And just as Nicole could have kissed Waverly, Waverly could have just as easily kissed her. But neither of them did. And Nicole walked away. Somehow.

Even though something had finally had happened between them, Nicole felt no closer to understanding how Waverly felt. She would have to wait until morning for answers, so she turned over and at least tried to get some sleep.

xxxxx

Nicole looked at herself in the mirror of the bathroom at The Bullhorn and thought how all this _definitely_ wasn't worth it anymore. She thought she could just be friends, forget about the kiss, forget about Waverly running away the next morning, and they would be fine. But tonight was proving her wrong.  

In this moment, Nicole very much regretted her reaction to Waverly’s apology at the coffee shop. She should have just asked Waverly about this kiss, point blank. But the anguish on Waverly’s face as she apologized made her melt, just a little. They hadn’t seen each other in almost two weeks, and Nicole had missed Waverly, hanging out with her, talking to her.  So she decided if Waverly needed a little more time, a little space, to figure things out, she would give that to her. 

They were past the apology, inching closer to normal, when Waverly said, “Earps can still get drunk and do things we shouldn’t.” It was said like a joke but felt like a declaration: the kiss was a drunken mistake, and nothing more.

_Message received._

After Nicole won their bet, about a million possible questions for Waverly ran through her mind. “Why did you kiss me?” seemed to be the obvious choice, but Nicole didn’t see the point. So she asked about Purgatory, about why Waverly stayed. It was something that Nicole had been wondering about for a while. She was not expecting that the subject would upset Waverly quite as much as it did, and it made her feel like an asshole. As she comforted Waverly, Nicole thought she might be able to pull off this friend thing after all.

Then tonight happened. Waverly taking her shirt off in the team store, asking Nicole to help with the tag, holding her hand, kissing her on the cheek. It was all too much. So as Nicole looked at herself in the mirror, she decided she would put on a happy face until Waverly left tomorrow, and then she was done.

After Nicole rejoined the group, it seemed to be going well. But when they were alone at the bar, and Waverly put her hand on Nicole’s thigh, higher up than just a friend would, and then moved it even higher, Nicole’s plan went up in flames. 

“What is ‘this’, Waverly. You tell me,” Nicole said with an anger that surprised even herself. Waverly did not respond. “Exactly,” Nicole said and fled to the bathroom.

Then they found themselves back where this all started. Nicole figured that if she was going to cut Waverly out of her life anyway, she might as well let her have it. But as she spoke, Nicole realized that she wouldn’t be able to let go of Waverly quite so easily. Even if they were just friends.

And when she was done, when Nicole had finally said her piece, Waverly Earp kissed her. And this time, Nicole kissed her back.

xxxxx

Nicole knew it had been the right decision that night, to pump the brakes. To make herself wait, to make Waverly. She had called it whiplash, and that is exactly how it felt. Slowing things down gave them the time and space they needed to talk about a few things, to explain, and then to adjust. Because as much as it felt like they had been dating for weeks, they hadn’t. And Nicole wanted to experience just a little bit of that before they went _there_.

But Nicole was only human. The day after Jimmy nearly walked in on them in the kitchen, she called the The Reardon and asked about a room for the weekend. Then the morning after she nearly gave in to Waverly in the backseat of the Jeep, she called and booked one. She thought about telling Waverly, talking about it, but she settled on the note. 

And with everything going on the day of graduation, Nicole actually forgot about the room altogether. The day was so perfect, she was so happy already, that the idea it could get any better didn’t even occur to her. Then Waverly Earp slapped that keycard down on the table at The Bullhorn like it was a pair of pocket Aces and smiled at her. _Oh boy._

As they rode in the cab, Nicole couldn’t believe how nervous she was. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt this way about sex. Was Waverly nervous too? She didn’t seem to be, but she had to be, right? And Nicole had to check, one more time, that this was okay, but Waverly was apparently not interested in that conversation.

Nicole’s nerves fell away the instant she realized Waverly had called and ordered the champagne and food, when Waverly admitted how quickly she had decided that she wanted this, _like this_ , too. And there was nothing left to say, so Nicole showed Waverly just how much that meant to her, again and again.

The next morning, Nicole was standing in the hotel bathroom, wrapped in a towel. She turned and looked back into the mirror. She had a couple scratch marks on her shoulder. She smiled. _Okay then._

There was a knock on the door. “Come on in,” she said.

Waverly opened the door and casually leaned on the frame. She was in a loose sweater that hung off one shoulder and jeans. Her still-wet hair was up in a messy bun. She was holding two cups of coffee from the cafe downstairs.

“So what time is this brunch with Jimmy’s family?” Waverly asked.

“Ten-thirty.  We don’t have to go, but I _am_ going to need actual food at some point,” Nicole said with a smirk. They never got around to eating dinner last night. The champagne, fruit, cheese, and sweets were delicious, but they did not count as a meal. “Not that I’m complaining,” she added with a wink.

Waverly blushed a little and said, “I think we should go.” She held out one of the coffees. Nicole took it and gave her a kiss in thanks, then Waverly left her alone to finish getting ready.

Nicole took a sip of the coffee and grabbed her phone off the counter so she could check the time. She had a notification about a text from Waverly, presumably sent while Nicole was in the shower. The text was a short one, just a single symbol.

A heart.

xxxxx

Nicole leaned on the bar, waiting to order a drink. The woman in the leather jacket, the one who had hit on her earlier, was still perched on a stool. It had been a weird moment. The woman’s tone had been flirty, but her heart didn’t quite seem into it. Nicole just laughed it off and returned to her table. From where she and Edie were sitting, Nicole had noticed the woman talking with a few other patrons, all men, and doing quite a few shots.

One of those men was sitting on a stool between Nicole and this woman. “I’m Doug, by the way,” Nicole overheard him say as he raised his shot glass.

“Wynonna,” the woman responded. They clinked glasses and downed their shots.

_Surely not?_ Nicole tried to surreptitiously take a closer look. The woman looked vaguely like the pictures Waverly had shown her, but it had been a while. The woman was about the right age, had a similar build to Waverly’s, and had a gorgeous head of hair too, though slightly darker. How many Wynonnas were there in the world who fit the profile? And so close to Purgatory? 

Then she heard the woman say: “I've missed the liquor here. Some of the stuff they serve in Europe . . .”

_Definitely her. What the hell?_

Nicole almost texted Waverly right then and there. But just yesterday, Waverly said her sister was still in Europe and wouldn’t be coming home for Christmas. Maybe it was a surprise? Or maybe Wynonna had been lying to Waverly? Nicole decided she needed some more information before saying anything to Waverly. The bartender stopped by. Nicole ordered three shots. After they were poured, she picked them up and walked over to Wynonna.

“Would you like to join me for a drink?” She asked.

Wynonna gave her a smirk. “I knew you'd come around, Big Red. Later, Doug,” she said dismissively. Doug looked a little miffed, but said nothing.

Nicole walked over to the high-top table where Edie was waiting for her. Before Wynonna got to the table, Nicole leaned over and whispered, “Just go with it.” Edie looked confused but nodded in agreement.

Nicole introduced herself and Edie. “I didn’t catch your name earlier,” she said to Wynonna.

“Mercedes,” Wynonna said.

Nicole swallowed a laugh. This was going to be fun.

The three of them chatted for a bit. Wynonna was very nosy, asking about their jobs, where they grew up, their families. Edie gave Nicole several pointed looks, clearly wondering what the hell was going on.

Then Wynonna asked, out of the blue. “So are you two?” She made a crude gesture with her hands, realized it was the wrong one for what she was implying, and corrected herself.

Nicole almost choked on a olive. Edie laughed and replied, “Her roommate’s my _boyfriend_.”

A look passed across Wynonna’s face. “But you’re into?” She asked Nicole.

“Yup. What about you,  _Mercedes_?” 

“Tried it. Didn't take,” Wynonna said with a shrug. “Sorry.”

“You’re not my type anyway,” Nicole replied. 

Wynonna pantomimed being stabbed in the heart, then she asked, “Well if I don’t do it for you, Haught, who does?” She looked around the bar. “Maybe that blonde over by the window?”

Nicole laughed inside. She had never given her last name. Wynonna was either very bad at this, or very drunk. Or both. “Well right now I’ve got my eye on this brunette,” Nicole said gamely. Edie raised her eyebrows.

“Oh?” Wynonna leaned in conspiratorially.

_Was it really going to be this easy?_ Nicole leaned in too. “And you will not believe the thing Waverly did to me the other night --” 

Wynonna sat back and threw up her hands. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. That’s my little sister you’re talking about.” Edie looked up in shock, her mouth agape.

“Oh?” Nicole said with feigned ignorance. 

Wynonna finally caught on. “Shit. You know?”

Nicole nodded with a laugh. “Nice to meet you.” She looked over at Edie. “This is Waverly’s older sister, Wynonna.”

Wynonna looked around awkwardly. “If I buy the next round, will you promise to never, ever, finish that story?” 

“Not sure I need another one,” Nicole replied. Wynonna stumbled a little as she got off her stool. “Not sure you do either.”

“Okay, _Mom_.”

“Fine. I’ll take a whiskey, Alberta Rye, neat.” Nicole ordered Waverly’s usual just to prove a little point. She could tell Wynonna picked up on it. Edie asked for a gin and tonic.

“What is going on?” Edie asked after Wynonna left.

Nicole chuckled. “I have no earthly idea.”

xxxxx

“Nicole, I love . . . it.”

What Waverly _almost_ said hung in the air. Nicole kept her eyes up as long as she could. Then they both looked away and Waverly withdrew her hand. 

Nicole had been here before, in love. She had loved Shae, way back when. And she had held tightly to that love as the rest of her world seemed to be crumbling beneath her. But slowly, she started to see Shae more clearly, the hardness she hid so well with wit, intelligence, and a pretty face. How she could cut you, deep, with the smallest comment, and think nothing of it.

Nicole had loved her, until she didn’t. And she had actually said that out loud, had said “I don’t love you” to Shae, and it had been one of the lowest moments of Nicole’s life. But their relationship had become toxic, and extricating herself from it had been so fraught, that it felt like it was the only thing that would make Shae understand. That moment had gnawed at her ever since. Was it was truly necessary to say? To someone she cared about, but not enough? To someone who cared about her, though not in the way she professed to?

And when you’ve said “I don’t love you” to another person, the words “I love you” become terrifying. Because you know those words can be taken back, and maybe a little part of you thinks you deserve to experience what that feels like.  

So when Waverly veered away from “I love you,” Nicole was relieved. And then she was distracted. Waverly was squeezing the inside of her thigh. 

“When do you have to leave? Do we have time?” Waverly asked, with a hint of desperation.

_This girl is going to kill me._

Nicole couldn’t resist when Waverly looked at her like that. Not anymore. Sitting here today, Nicole had no idea how she had managed make herself wait, when Waverly was so eager. But the waiting was over, so Nicole kissed her, and soon enough, Waverly was wrapped around her, ready.

Then there was a knock at the door. It was Waverly’s sister. Nicole groaned silently as she rested her forehead against Waverly’s chest. A part of her wanted to go along with it, with Waverly’s suggestion to ignore Wynonna and finish what they had started. But a part of her knew better, so she grabbed her stuff and headed into the bathroom, giving the sisters some time alone.

When she came back into the room, things were still tense. Nicole was determined not to add to the it, so she just asked about the coffee. Wynonna said they were both for Nicole and (sort of) apologized for last night, for keeping them up late. 

Nicole thought the woman who had figured out where she lived, followed her to a bar, and then hit on her, all as part of some bizarre act of sisterly protection, deserved the truth. So Nicole grabbed a donut, sat down, and gave it to her.

“It was your sister who kept me up late, and I didn’t mind at all.”

Nicole took a bite of her donut. Wynonna said nothing. The silence was delicious. The donut too.

xxxxx

Nicole stopped at a gas station on the way out of town. As the pump did its job, she checked her phone. Waverly had texted her a single heart. It made Nicole smile every time. She sent one back and then looked for a podcast to listen to on her drive back to the Big City.

“Officer Haught,” she heard a man’s voice say. When she turned around, she saw the local sheriff, Randy Nedley, standing next to her car. 

She had met him, by chance, on her first trip to Purgatory. They had stopped by the grocery store on their way to climb. She was waiting on a couple of her friends near the front door when the sheriff came into the store. He saw her BCPD sweatshirt and struck up a conversation. A few days later, Captain Lopez mentioned that Nedley had called him, asking about her and for her contact information. Nicole said the sheriff could call her on her cell phone, though she wasn’t quite sure why he would.

That phone call led to a day spent up in Purgatory, a trip she had never told Waverly about, at least not in full. The sheriff said he needed some fresh blood on his squad, and that Captain Lopez spoke very highly of her. It was all a little shocking. Nicole had never considered such a thing, becoming a small-town deputy. She always imagined that she and Jimmy would stay in the Big City, rise up the ranks together. So while it was flattering, this offer, she wasn’t seriously considering it.

And with all the drama that followed in the next few weeks with Waverly, the person that had brought her to Purgatory in the first place, she was considering it even less. But then she and Waverly got together, and she’d been up here twice now, and it was at least worth thinking about. Right? Nope. It still sounded crazy.

“What brings you to Purgatory?” The sheriff asked her. 

Nicole thought his expression was a little odd, like perhaps he knew why she was there but didn’t want to let on. She decided to be vague. “Just visiting a friend, sir. I’m actually on my way back to the city. I have to work tonight and tomorrow.”

“Sorry to hear that, but it comes with the territory,” Nedley replied. Nicole nodded. There was an awkward pause before Nedley said, “I ran into Artie Lopez last week when I was in the Big City. He said you finished top of your class. Congratulations.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“He said you talked to him about my offer.”

“I did.”

“I know it’s a lot to think about, and I don’t need to know just yet. But I hope you’re still considering it.”

“I am.”

“Good. Well I won’t keep you. But let me know next time you’re in town visiting this friend of yours, and I’ll buy you a drink.”

Nicole shook the sheriff’s outstretched hand. “I will. Thank you.”

Nicole had planned to spend her drive home coming up with something romantic to do during Waverly’s upcoming trip to the Big City. But now all she could think about was Sheriff Nedley’s offer to come to Purgatory to be his deputy. And how she needed to tell Waverly about it. Maybe? Probably.

_ Shit. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is the transition into the next part of this story. As you can see, we’re switching perspectives and will experience everything through Nicole’s eyes. But before moving forward, I couldn’t resist the urge to explore a few critical moments from what has already happened. 
> 
> As I said in my comments after Chapter 9, I have decided to keep this story going. The bad news is it will likely be several weeks before I start posting updates again. The good news is that once I start posting, my pace of updates is at least once a week (usually more). 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy the holidays. See you in 2018.


	12. Sisters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anyone want some more WynHaught?

It was a few days after Christmas, and Nicole was tidying up the apartment as she waited for Waverly to arrive. Nicole was very much looking forward to seeing her for a couple days, but she was bringing along a complication -- her sister. Wynonna was flying back out in two days, so she was going to be staying in the apartment as well. Waverly offered to get Wynonna a hotel room but that seemed like a poor use of money when Nicole had a perfectly good couch that Wynonna could crash on, again.

Nicole’s first encounter with Wynonna was strange, to say the least, though after the big reveal, they ended up having fun (too much, in Wynonna’s case). She enjoyed Wynonna’s quick wit and her devil-may-care attitude, but in Purgatory, Nicole saw how those attributes could cause problems, even for her own sister. Nicole was unsure whether the sisters had discussed the comment about Champ that had upset Waverly. 

For her part, Nicole had fretted over it a little bit, wondering how much Waverly really enjoyed the things they did together -- the basketball games, the climbing -- or whether she was molding herself to fit Nicole’s interests. But Waverly had reacted so strongly to her Christmas present, and she had insisted they still go to the Outlaws game (and that Wynonna come along), that Nicole wondered if it was much ado about nothing. Still, Nicole resolved to keep an eye out.

Based on their time together, Nicole got the impression that a part of Wynonna liked her in return, or at least wanted to, but was holding back. Maybe it was solely because Nicole was dating her sister, but Nicole thought it must run deeper than that. Given her own family background, Nicole was grateful that any problem Wynonna might have with her seemingly had nothing to do with Nicole being a woman but instead the fact that she was a cop. It surprised Nicole because Wynonna and Waverly’s father had been one, and Nicole wondered if he had died on the job, leaving Wynonna distrustful of the institution as a whole. 

She would love to talk to Waverly about all of this. But they seemed to have a unspoken pact not to discuss family in too much detail. As painful as Nicole’s family situation was, she knew Waverly had dealt with much worse and at a much younger age. When Waverly had briefly talked about all she’d been through that first time they had coffee, Nicole got a peek into the chasm of sadness that Waverly kept so well hidden from the world. Over the following weeks, Nicole noticed that sadness more and more, but she never felt comfortable asking Waverly about it directly. And she knew it would only lead to questions about her own past, questions that she would struggle to talk about. So as much as she wanted to know everything about Waverly, Nicole left it alone, for now.

Waverly sent her a text, saying they had just parked and were on their way to the apartment. They were running a little later than Nicole had planned, so they wouldn’t have much time before they needed to leave for the game. Nicole waited at the door, which she left open. When she heard the ding of the elevator, and then Waverly come into view from around the corner, a rush of warmth filled Nicole’s body. They talked on the phone or Face-timed every day, but nothing could compare to seeing Waverly in person.

“Hey,” Nicole said as Waverly stopped in the doorway. She took Waverly’s bag from her and leaned down for a kiss, but Wynonna coughed so they moved along into the apartment.

“You can leave your stuff on the couch,” Nicole said to Wynonna on her way into her own room. She put Waverly’s bag on the chair in the corner, which was its unofficial resting place when Waverly visited. Nicole was surprised when Waverly followed her into the room and closed the door behind her.

“Is everything okay?” Nicole asked.

Waverly leaned against the door. She was wearing her Outlaws shirt in her usual style, tied up in the back. Nicole very much appreciated that Waverly did not let the cold weather dissuade her from showing a little midriff. Waverly said nothing but simply tilted her head, and Nicole understood. She walked over and leaned in close, lightly brushing the exposed skin above Waverly’s jeans with her fingertips. Her lips were almost on Waverly’s . . .

“Hey horndogs, don’t we have a game to get to?” Wynonna shouted from the living room.

They both laughed just a little. “Sorry,” Waverly said sheepishly. “Later?”

Nicole walked over to her closet and grabbed her Outlaws hat. She replied quietly, “Your sister will be sleeping on the couch, Wave.”

“I can be quiet.”

“That’d be new.” Nicole said, patting Waverly lightly on the behind as she walked toward the bathroom. Waverly turned and tried to look offended, but they both knew. They  _ knew_. 

Nicole went to find Wynonna, who was in the kitchen, looking through the cabinets. “Can I help you?” Nicole asked.

“Just seeing where you stash the liquor,” Wynonna replied shamelessly.

Nicole walked over to the fridge and, standing on her tiptoes, opened the small, difficult to reach cabinet above it, revealing a few bottles of liquor. 

“Well that’s no fun. I’d need a beanstalk to reach that.” 

“Seems like a feature, not a bug.” Nicole shut the cabinet door, signaling that she would not be giving Wynonna any before the game. “I’ve got an extra Outlaws hat if you’d like to wear it,” gesturing to the ball cap she’d left on the counter earlier.

“Come on now, you don’t cover up hair like this with a hat,” Wynonna said as she strutted out the kitchen with a flip of her hair.

Nicole couldn’t help but smile. 

xxxxx

They met up with Jimmy and Edie at the game. After the Outlaws won in a blowout, they all headed to a nearby restaurant where some of the team would be coming after they did their media interviews and hit the showers. They were all on their second drink when the players started showing up. Nicole already knew Rodney, Jimmy’s brother, but she was excited to meet some of the other players. 

Apparently, so was Wynonna. Nicole watched with amusement as she drank and flirted with the players. One of them, a backup guard named Caleb, seemed to have taking a particular liking to her as well. Close to midnight, Wynonna came over to where Nicole and Waverly were sitting at the bar, talking with Rodney and his girlfriend.

“If you two want to head back, I think I’m going to play a little man-to-man with Mr. Tight Jeans over there.” Wynonna said with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Waverly asked, crossing her arms.

“Doesn’t seem like a bad one. And I’m an adult, I can make my own decisions -- good or bad.” Wynonna looked back over at Caleb and gave him a little wave, which he returned.

Waverly pulled her phone out of her pocket. “Okay, but please take my cell phone so you can call us in case you need something.” Nicole remembered Waverly complaining the other day that Wynonna’s phone only worked in Europe, making her hard to track down at times.

“Fine.” Wynonna took the phone and started fiddling with it. “What’s your password?”

“Your birthday,” Waverly replied. 

“Thanks for the reminder,” Wynonna said.

“It’s no use being in denial about it,” Waverly said. Nicole wasn’t sure what the big deal was about Wynonna’s birthday. She was only 26, a strange age to be worrying about getting a year older.

Wynonna had successfully unlocked the phone and was messing with the screen. “Is it safe to luook at your photos?”

Nicole jumped in first. “I wouldn't recommend it,” she said dryly. 

“Nicole!” Waverly exclaimed, whacking her on the arm. But Nicole saw Wynonna smile just a little as she stashed the phone in her pocket and took off to rejoin Caleb.

“Jimmy told me they’re probably going to stay out late since his brother has a road trip coming up. You want to stay here or head back?”

“You have to ask?” Waverly replied with a glint in her eye. 

“I’ll get the check, you get us a ride?” Nicole suggested. Waverly nodded. 

Nicole went over to the bar and tried to pay for their drinks, but Rodney came over and said he had them covered.

“Thanks. You think Wynonna will be okay with Caleb?”

“I’m more worried about him. That girl seems like a lot to handle.”

“You’re right about that,” Nicole replied with a laugh.

Before leaving, Nicole found Edie and borrowed her key to the apartment, then swung by the booth where Wynonna was sitting with Caleb. She put the key on the table, then leaned over Wynonna and said quietly. “I’ll text you the door code, and here’s the key if you need it. Please do call me if you need anything, no matter what time.” 

Wynonna looked as if she was about to make a joke, but reconsidered. “Okay,” she replied and put the key in her pcoket.

Twenty minutes later, Nicole and Waverly were back at the apartment, all alone, at last. They made it no further than the hallway. Nicole had Waverly up against the door of the coat closet. One of Waverly’s legs was still on the ground, but the other was wrapped around Nicole’s.

Nicole was kissing Waverly’s neck, when Waverly said, “I hate to be demanding.”

“I like the sound of this already,” Nicole growled, just before she kissed Waverly.

When they broke apart, Waverly put her hands on Nicole’s face. “I’ve been thinking about Christmas Eve. Can we maybe pick up where we left things?”

Nicole got a little extra charge out of the idea that Waverly had been thinking about her, about _ that _ , while they apart. (Nicole definitely had been too.) She took one of Waverly’s hands and led her into the bedroom. They shed most of their clothing rather unceremoniously and soon enough, Nicole was sitting on the bed with Waverly on her lap, wrapped around her. And this time, when Nicole slid her hand up the inside of Waverly’s thigh, there were no interruptions.

A little while later, Waverly was sound asleep next to her, looking angelic with her long hair splayed across the pillow. As tired as she was, Nicole felt restless, and she knew why. Being careful not to disturb her girlfriend, Nicole leaned over and grabbed her phone off the nightstand.

> **[Sent by Nicole at 1:28 AM:]** You alright?

Nicole was a little surprised when the three dots appeared almost immediately. But instead of a text, about a minute later she got a photo of Caleb. He was sleeping, face down, his bare butt partially exposed. Then a text came through.

> **[Waverly:]** Don’t you DARE send me a picture of my sister!

Nicole laughed silently. The thought  _ had _ crossed her mind. She said goodnight to Wynonna, kissed the top of Waverly’s head, and tried to get some sleep.

xxxxx

It was almost ten in the morning when Nicole and Waverly finally woke up. Nicole went to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. There was no sign of Wynonna, either in the apartment or via text. Jimmy and Edie be sleeping in as well because they weren’t even home by the time Nicole turned in last night.

“When are we climbing today?” Waverly asked as she patted the space next to her on the bed when Nicole returned to her bedroom.

Nicole obliged, climbing back under the covers with Waverly. “Are you sure you don’t want to spend that time with you sister? She  _ is  _ leaving tomorrow.”

“I know, but I’ve been dying to try out my Christmas present.”

“Waverly.”

“I know, I know. You’re right. Speaking of, have you heard anything from Wynonna?”

Nicole pulled up the exchange from last night on her phone and showed it to Waverly, who laughed. She switched Nicole’s phone to the camera mode. “Come here,” she said, holding the phone aloft.

“Seriously?”

“Wynonna sent you a photo of Caleb naked in bed. I think she handle a picture of us snuggling while clothed.”

Nicole cuddled in close and looked up at the phone. At the last moment, she turned and kissed Waverly on the cheek. Waverly checked the photo, smiled, and then sent it to Wynonna.

“Tell her we’re planning on having brunch at 11 if she’d like to join,” Nicole said as she moved to get out of bed. Waverly had already started a text but reached out and grabbed Nicole’s arm. Nicole froze while Waverly finished typing. When she was done. Waverly looked over at Nicole suggestively.

Nicole looked at the clock, skeptical. “We both need to shower.”

“Two birds?” Waverly asked.

It made Nicole a little light-headed sometimes, how much Waverly wanted her, almost couldn’t get enough. Of course, she couldn’t either, so she kissed Waverly, then said, “I’ll go pour us some coffee, and you get the shower going?”

Waverly nodded with a smile, then hopped out of bed and headed to the bathroom. Nicole laid back on the bed and looked at the ceiling for a moment.

_ My God I love you. _

Nicole jumped when she heard Waverly say, “Sorry, did you say something?” Waverly had popped her head around the bathroom door. Nicole shook her head. “Then get a move on and get in here.”

Nicole did not need to be told twice.

xxxxx

Wynonna arrived at the diner about 15 minutes after they had been seated. She was wearing sunglasses and strutted in like a movie star. Somehow, her hair still looked fabulous, just as it had after the night Wynonna crashed at her place last week. Nicole started to wonder if Wynonna had made a deal with the devil.

She pulled up a chair up to their booth, sat on it backwards, and finally took off her sunglasses. Their waitress stopped by and Wynonna ordered a coffee. Waverly tentatively asked about Wynonna’s night.

“Caleb couldn’t win an 8th grade spelling bee, but he’s decent in the sack.”

Nicole and Edie shared a look. Edie had been fascinated with Wynonna ever since that night at the bar. Waverly looked sorry she asked. After brunch, they headed back to the apartment so Wynonna could shower and change. Waverly told Wynonna that she thought they could spend the afternoon together.

“Honestly, I could use a bit of a nap,” Wynonna replied. “I thought you guys were going climbing anyway.”

Waverly looked a little hurt but said nothing. Nicole was annoyed on her behalf, and suggested, “Why don’t we go climb, and when we get back, you two can go do something until dinner?” Waverly nodded and went into Nicole’s room. 

Nicole handed Wynonna the clean towel she had fetched from the closet.

“Thanks for that text this morning, by the way,” Wynonna said sarcastically.” I thought we had an understanding.”

“That was your sister’s idea.” With Waverly out of earshot, Nicole let her annoyance with Wynonna seep into her tone a little. Wynonna picked up on it and raised her eyebrows. Nicole was tempted to say something else but thought better of it and went to change instead.

Waverly seemed distracted on the ride over to the gym. Nicole knew it was about Wynonna but didn’t want to press her on the subject. Luckily, the physical exertion seemed to do Waverly some good, and on the ride back, she seemed back to her usual bubbly self.

“So what are we doing for dinner tonight?” Waverly asked.

“I thought I could cook for you guys. I need to try out my Christmas present too.”

Waverly looked over and smiled at her. “Perfect.”

Hours later, Nicole was busy in the kitchen when Waverly and Wynonna returned. She could tell they were bickering about something but couldn’t quite tell what. 

“Hot damn it smells good in here,” Wynonna said as she plunked a grocery bag onto the small kitchen table.

“Thanks,” Nicole replied, without looking up from the saucepan. She felt a pair of hands on her waist. “You guys have fun?” she asked as she turned and looked at Waverly.

Waverly nodded and pulled her in for a kiss.

“I need a drink,” Wynonna said.

A half an hour later, the three of them were sitting around the small kitchen table, eating, drinking wine and laughing. Nicole thought the homemade fettuccine puttanesca she had made had come out fairly well. 

“What’s this sauce again?” Wynonna asked.

“Puttanesca,” Nicole replied.

“Puttanesca derives from the word puttana, which is Italian for whore,” Waverly informed them. Nicole was used to this by now, Waverly explaining the origin of various words. She found it adorable.

“Okay thanks, Rosetta Stone,” Wynonna quipped. Nicole laughed, which earned her a little punch on the arm from Waverly. “So you made me slutty spaghetti?” Wynonna added, looking at Nicole. “A little on the nose, don’t you think?”

"It's fetteccuni, and it's not slutty, it's just sex-positive," Nicole replied. 

They all laughed. Out of the corner of her eye, Nicole thought Waverly looked pleased that Nicole and her sister were getting along so well.

After dinner, Waverly helped Nicole clean up the kitchen while Wynonna rummaged through Nicole’s cabinets and fridge for cocktail ingredients. She made some bourbon concoction, and Nicole made a mental note to replace the bottle, which technically belonged to Jimmy.

They moved into the living room and sat around drinking cocktails. Somehow they got on the subject of Wynonna’s disastrous attempt to pick up Nicole. 

“I still can’t believe that line didn’t work on you. It kills in Europe,” Wynonna said.

“I told you that you’re not my type,” Nicole replied, giving Waverly a little wink.

“I seem to recall that later that night you said my ass was top shelf,” Wynonna said.

Waverly looked at Nicole, who shrugged and said, “I mean, it is.” Waverly just rolled her eyes.

It was almost midnight when Jimmy and Edie got back from their night on the town. When Nicole saw Jimmy holding a bottle of a champagne, she knew right away that the night had gone as planned.

“You’re engaged!” Nicole said a little louder than she intended. She ran over and pulled them both into a hug.

“You’re drunk!” Jimmy said with a laugh.

“Guilty. So very, very guilty.”

Jimmy and Edie shed their coats and settled into the living room with them. Nicole went to get glasses for the champagne, and she was grateful when Waverly came to help her. She might be able to handle that much glassware sober, but she definitely couldn’t in her current state. After they poured the champagne, Edie told them how Jimmy proposed. Nicole couldn’t be happier for them.

xxxxx

Nicole woke up the next morning with a searing headache. Waverly was already awake and was sitting up in bed, looking deep in thought. Nicole sat up slowly, grabbed the glass of water on the nightstand, and drank it all. Then she leaned over and kissed Waverly on the shoulder. Waverly smiled but remained silent.

“I don't think wine, bourbon, and champagne is a combination I can handle,” Nicole said. “Or the Earp sisters.”

Waverly leaned against Nicole, and Nicole wrapped her arm around Waverly’s shoulders, allowing them to snuggle in closer.

“Did I do something stupid last night, other than try to keep up with Wynonna?” Nicole asked.

“No,” Waverly said quietly.

“Are you sad about your sister?”

Waverly nodded. “Wynonna drives me crazy sometimes, but I can’t believe she’s leaving already. You know I hadn't seen her in almost two years?”

Nicole thought of her own sister, and how long it had been since she’d seen her. “Wow, I had no idea it had been that long. Any chance she could be convinced to stay longer?”

“No,” Waverly replied definitively.

They sat silently for a minute, Nicole’s head pounding from a hangover, Waverly’s heart breaking.

“I know it's not the same, but I'm here for you. You know that, right?”

Waverly sat up and looked at her. Her eyes were filled with tears that had not yet fallen. “I do, and it is definitely not the same.” Waverly crawled on top of her so she was straddling Nicole’s hips. She leaned down. Just before she kissed Nicole, she said, “But in a good way.”

With Waverly’s soft lips on hers, Nicole started getting over her hangover very quickly. She slid her hands up the back of Waverly’s shirt. As Waverly ground down into her, Nicole started wondering just how quick and quiet they could be.

Then the door flew open. “Shit,” Nicole heard Wynonna say before she closed the door again. 

Waverly looked down. Nicole was expecting her to be embarrassed, but instead she had a wicked little smile plastered across her face. “I think she deserved that,” Waverly said quietly.

Wynonna shouted through the door, “My flight is in a few hours and I have to murder a stack of pancakes before I can step on that plane.”

So they started their day. Waverly showered while Nicole went out to start the coffee. She retrieved some aspirin from the cabinet and popped a couple in her mouth and drank some water from the tap. A couple minutes later, Wynonna came in from the living room, her bag in tow.

“You got any more of those?”

“I thought Earps didn’t get hangovers?” Nicole asked as she handed the bottle to Wynonna.

“Preventative measure,” Wynonna replied. She sat down at the table and popped open the bottle, taking the pills without water.

Nicole leaned back against the seat and asked, “Any idea when you’re coming back?”

“Probably not until September.”

“That’s a long time from now.”

“Not long enough.”

“Your sister really misses you.”

“I know, but being home is complicated for me.”  

Nicole could relate to that comment so she decided to drop it. The coffee pot finished, so Nicole took three mugs down from the cabinet and poured some into each.

“Could I get some hair of the dog?” Wynonna asked.

“Help yourself,” Nicole replied, gesturing to the cabinet above the fridge.

“You got a beanstalk I can use?”

Nicole laughed, got the bourbon down herself, then put in on the table. Wynonna gave herself a generous pour and then looked up at Nicole.

“No, thanks.”

“You look like you could use it,” Wynonna said with a look that convinced Nicole she was probably right.

“Just a little,” Nicole replied. Wynonna poured.

They drank in silence until Wynonna chimed in again. “I feel like I’m supposed to give you some older sister speech about Waverly, so here it goes -- be good to her, and if you aren’t, remember I know where you live.”

Nicole looked Wynonna in the eye. “Understood.”

“And don’t get her pregnant, okay?” Wynonna deadpanned.

Nicole almost spit out her coffee. “Shouldn’t be a problem,” she said with a laugh.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing the second half has gone better than I thought so I am updating a little earlier than expected. I figured people wouldn't mind. :)
> 
> Update transparency: I'll likely be posting two chapters a week until the story is done. Expect the next chapter early next week. 
> 
> Also: There are so many fun holiday fics being posted. Two come to mind that I think people should check out if they haven't already -- jaybear1701's "Underneath the Mistletoe" (about halfway through its run) and "auld acquaintance" by brogurt (a one-shot). I know there are others!


	13. Sisters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chapter title is no a mistake. More sister time, of a different variety.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: this chapter contains some implied homophobia.

For Nicole, the weeks following the holidays were a little difficult. Waverly was back in school, now taking three classes instead of just two, and still working as much as she could at Shorty’s. Meanwhile, Nicole’s work schedule was ever-changing due to her training rotations. These logistical challenges sometimes gave them only small windows of time to see each other. There were nights when Nicole would get off the second shift and find Waverly asleep at her apartment, usually with books and notes strewn across the bed. They would get a few precious waking hours together in the morning before Waverly either had to get going to class or leave so she could get back to Purgatory in time to work the lunch shift.

Nicole knew they could spend more time together if she occasionally went to Purgatory, but as happy as Waverly seemed to be when they were together in the city, Nicole felt she was being kept at arm’s length from Waverly’s other life. She realized that on the two occasions she had been to Purgatory since they had gotten together, they hadn’t really been affectionate in public. Waverly’s aunt, uncle, and boss were aware of their relationship, but Nicole didn’t get the impression anyone else in Purgatory knew about it, not even Waverly’s friend Chrissy. 

One morning in early February, Nicole and Waverly were sitting on the couch drinking coffee. They were in their usual positions -- Nicole sitting upright with her feet up on the table, Waverly prone on the couch, her legs in Nicole’s lap. Nicole was absentmindedly tapping her fingers on Waverly’s ankle when she decided to probe a little on the subject.

“I’ve been thinking about getting a car,” Nicole declared.

“For why?” Waverly asked, eyes still on her phone.

“I thought I could use it come up to Purgatory every once in awhile,” Nicole replied, finally looking over to gauge Waverly’s reaction. Waverly had been reading something on her phone but finally looked up, skeptical. “I’ve got some money saved,” Nicole added.

“Nicole, you’re saving that for your own place.” 

“I know, but I’m sure you’re getting tired of staying here all the time.” Waverly didn’t really react so Nicole said, “I just wish we could see each other more often.”

Waverly put her coffee mug down on the table and got up, disappearing into the bedroom. She returned a minute later with her purse. She sat down next to Nicole and pulled out a small datebook.

“You just need to think about it differently. We’ve got stuff to look forward to -- Jimmy and Edie’s engagement party is in a couple weeks, so I’ll be here almost all weekend.” She flipped the page. “And my break is a few weeks after that, so when I am in the city, I won’t have to spend time studying.” 

“But we won’t see each other much in between,” Nicole said.

“Well has nothing to do with your lack of a car,” Waverly replied.

_ True. _

Inspired by Wynonna’s visit, Nicole decided it was time she go see her sister, so in early March, she was taking some time off to go to Toronto. It was actually a well-timed trip because Waverly would be in the middle of studying for midterms anyway. But then it would be yet another week after that before they really had any time together. 

As much as Nicole appreciated what Waverly was saying -- that Nicole should focus on the time they  _ would  _ get to see each other -- Waverly’s reaction to the car idea had not exactly alleviated Nicole’s growing concern that she wasn’t quite comfortable with the idea of Nicole being able to visit Purgatory more often. Nicole understood that Waverly might not be ready to be open about their relationship in her hometown. Purgatory was a small place, after all. That the town sweetheart, a former Purgatory High prom queen, suddenly had a  _ girlfriend _ was sure to get tongues wagging, and not all of the talk was likely to be positive. Even still, the thought stung a little.

Then there was Sheriff Nedley’s job offer. He called Nicole last week, telling her that there was no rush, that he’d leave the job open for her until the first of July. It still seemed like madness, the idea of moving to Purgatory. But it intrigued her, too, though sorting out the line between her desire to be with Waverly as much as humanly possible and her professional interest in the job was not an easy one. And she didn’t want to spook Waverly by putting too much pressure on their burgeoning relationship. So if Nedley was going to give her until the summer to make a decision, Nicole thought it best to wait and see.

Trying to quiet her thoughts, Nicole took Waverly’s free hand in hers and looked down at Waverly’s lap, where her datebook sat, open to the month of March. Nicole had seen Waverly writing in it plenty of times, but this was her first extended look inside. It was covered in what looked a bit like hieroglyphics, with times and people’s names and arrows and stars scribbled on various days, and sometimes scratched out. Nicole reflexively reached out and touched one of the entries, which had a little heart drawn in the corner.

“That’s how I know what days I’ll see you,” Waverly said quietly. She glanced over at Nicole, who met her gaze. “I wish there were more too, and that we--”

Nicole interrupted that thought with a kiss. As uncertain as she was about their future, she felt that what they had in the present was special, and she did not want to waste another moment of their morning together fretting.

xxxxx

“We need to get dressed up more often,” Waverly said as she took in Nicole. “Stunning,” she added, taking Nicole’s hand and pulling her close.

Nicole blushed. When she wasn’t in uniform, she was always a more casual dresser, while Waverly’s style was more, well, Waverly. But it did feel nice to get fancy for a change. She’d gone shopping the other day and found a lacy dress in royal blue with spaghetti straps that fell just below her knee. She had her hair down and wavy. It had just been cut so that it fell just below her chin.

“And I love the new do,” Waverly added as she ran her fingers through it.

“Thanks. I was nervous about it. And  _ you _ look amazing,” Nicole said, gazing down at Waverly. She was in a jumpsuit -- the pants black and billowy, the top tight, white and sleeveless, with elaborate ruffles decorating the shoulders. The back was a deep vee that went almost all the way down to the cinched waistline. It accentuated Waverly’s attributes perfectly -- her tiny waist and toned arms and back. It was at once modest and sexy. Her hair was slicked back into a low ponytail, her makeup and jewelry were minimal. 

“I almost wore that dress from graduation again,” Waverly said.

“I liked that one,” Nicole replied, thinking back on that green dress  _ very _ fondly. Sometimes Waverly would appear in that dress in her dreams. She pulled Waverly closer. “But I like this too,” Nicole muttered just before kissing her. As she held Waverly close, Nicole’s fingers found the zipper at the back of Waverly’s outfit, information she filed away for use later. 

_ Or now? _

Waverly broke the kiss and rested her head on Nicole’s chest. “We’re going to be late,” Waverly said in a breathless tone that suggested she was thinking along the same lines but knew they had somewhere important to be. But she was also drumming her fingers along Nicole’s collar bone, which she knew drove Nicole crazy. It wasn’t helping Nicole’s resolve.

“You’re right,” Nicole finally replied. 

The engagement party was in the private area of a restaurant downtown. It was mostly a family affair, with a few of Jimmy and Edie’s friends thrown in. When they were putting together the invite list, Nicole asked whether Shae would be on it. She was relieved when she was told no, though Edie clarified that Shae would be invited to the wedding. “It wouldn’t feel right to not include her, even with your history,” Edie had explained.

Nicole understood, of course, though she was glad the wedding was still months away.

After they arrived, Nicole and Waverly ran into Jimmy’s brother, Rodney. They discussed the Outlaws’ recent performance and their upcoming game against the Terriers, then Rodney turned to Waverly and asked, “So any idea when your sister is coming back to town?”

Rodney couldn't have known the minefield presented by that question, but Waverly replied politely. “I’m sorry, I don’t. Why do you ask?”

“Caleb can't stop talking about her. He’s smitten.”

Nicole and Waverly shared a little smile. “Well I'll tell Wynonna next time I talk to her, but I don't think she's planning to come back to the Big City any time soon,” Waverly said with a barely detectable hint of sadness.

But any lingering sadness appeared to disappear over the course of the evening. It was hard not to have a good time with the large and boisterous Clark family. Later in the evening, a dance party broke out on the small dance floor, and Waverly started to drag Nicole towards it.

“I’m not much of a dancer,” Nicole protested. And she knew Waverly very much was. 

“I don’t care,” Waverly said in her ear, playfully.

“Can I get one more drink in me, first?” Nicole pleaded.

“Fine,” she replied. “Get me one too?” She asked and then headed toward the bathroom.

Jimmy was at the bar, talking with one of his uncles. Nicole squeezed in behind him and ordered a couple glasses of wine. As she waited, she saw Waverly return from the bathroom and go straight to the dance floor. The drinks arrived, and Nicole took a few sip of hers as she watched the reverie. Jimmy’s uncle left, leaving the two roommates alone for a moment.

She caught Waverly’s eye and held up the wine glasses, but her girlfriend stayed on the dance floor and instead waved her over. 

“Good luck with that,” Jimmy said with a smile.

“Gee, thanks,” Nicole replied. “Congratulations, by the way.” She gave Jimmy a kiss on the cheek, then headed to the dance floor to do her best to keep up.

xxxxx

Although they texted and had the occasional phone call, the last time Nicole saw her sister Haley in person was about eight months ago, when Nicole was on her way back to the Big City after her year of travel. Nicole stayed the night in Toronto, and she and her sister met for dinner. They mostly talked about Nicole’s adventures and the classes Haley would be taking that fall. They avoided talking about their parents altogether, which was a relief.

Though there were a few years between them, Haley and Nicole had been close when they were children. Nicole was the protective older sibling, Haley the annoying younger one who followed Nicole and her friends around. But their entire family dynamic changed the year Nicole was a junior in high school, including her relationship with Haley.

That year, even though Nicole was a good student, an athlete, and she never got in trouble, her parents just didn’t seem interested in her anymore. Instead, Haley became the center of their world. But then her younger sister had started hanging with a new crowd at school, and her grades dipped and she started getting in trouble at school, causing constant friction in the house. Nicole tried to mediate some of these disputes, tried to talk to her sister, but Haley no longer seemed interested in Nicole’s advice. 

Despite the turmoil around her, and her parents’ apparent ambivalence about her future, Nicole continued to work hard at school, and her senior year, she earned a scholarship to BCU. But her parents seemed more excited that Nicole would be moving out of town than the idea that their daughter was making something of herself. Haley only seemed interested in whether, and when, she could steal Nicole’s room.

It was during Haley’s senior year in high school and Nicole’s junior year at BCU that Haley and her parents visited her in the Big City. It was their first and only visit, and the last time she’d ever laid eyes on her parents. A month before that visit, over Christmas break, Nicole had told them all that she was gay, and that she wanted them to meet her girlfriend, Shae. Her father left the house, her mother started crying, and Haley simply went up to her room. 

Nicole’s flight back to school was the next morning morning, but her father said he couldn’t take Nicole to the airport. None of them said goodbye before they left. Nicole ended up taking a cab to the airport, and she cried the whole flight home.

A few weeks later, her sister called, saying they were all coming to the Big City for a visit. Nicole was excited, perhaps the shock had worn off, and her parents were ready to make amends. But instead, when they came to town, her parents started asking whether Nicole had considered therapy because surely this was just a stage. Her father asked Nicole to pray with them. She looked at her sister, but Haley wouldn’t meet her gaze.

Since then, Nicole had not spoken to her mother or father. But Haley reached out the following year, while she was taking a gap year, and even came to visit Nicole one weekend in secret. They never spoke about what happened with their parents, though Nicole could tell by the hug that Haley gave her before she left that her sister missed her too. Nicole was disappointed when Haley couldn’t come for her graduation from university, but she did send a gift, a passport holder and a travel log. Nicole took them on her trip, and she sent Haley postcards as often as she could.  

Haley didn’t have a car so Nicole took a cab from the airport to her apartment, but Haley was waiting outside her apartment when Nicole arrived. She was a couple inches shorter than Nicole and had the same red hair. Anyone could guess they were sisters.

“Hey sis,” Nicole said. Her sister held out her arms and pulled her into a big hug, and Nicole felt the trip was already worth it. She backed up enough to take her sister in again. “Your hair is getting so long. When did you start growing it out?”

“Since the summer. Looks like you’ve gone the opposite direction.” Nicole’s hair was still about chin length. She was trying to decide whether she liked it still, though Waverly kept telling her how much she liked it.

They took Nicole’s things up to Haley’s apartment. It warmed Nicole’s heart to see a few of her postcards were still pinned to the corkboard above Haley’s dresser. They went back out for a quick lunch, then Haley had to get to her afternoon classes.

Nicole walked around the city all afternoon and visited a few sights. She sent Waverly some photos to show her what she was up to.  Then she met up with her sister and her roommates for dinner. Afterwards, they went to a bar that a bunch of Haley’s friends were at. Nicole enjoyed getting to see a glimpse of Haley’s life and meeting her friends, who all seemed nice.

Saturday it was just the two of them. They spent the whole day together. Haley showed Nicole around campus in the morning, and then they went shopping in the afternoon. As they went, they talked and talked about nothing in particular. But one topic remained unmentioned. 

Two, actually, until Haley asked, “Who do you keep texting with?” Nicole had hesitated to bring Waverly up, unsure if Haley’s views had changed on the subject. “Are you seeing someone? A girl?”

It felt like a small olive branch, an indication that Haley was now okay with her sister being a lesbian, or at least on her way to being okay with it. 

“Yeah, we’ve been together for almost . . . four months? Her name is Waverly,” Nicole said.

“Can I see a picture?” Haley ventured.

Nicole stopped walking and pulled up a recent picture of Waverly on her phone. 

“She’s pretty,” Haley commented.

Nicole smiled. “And smart -- crazy smart. She speaks like four languages.”

“Wow,” Haley said, then she looked up from the screen. Nicole met her gaze. “Is it serious?”

“Yeah,” Nicole replied. _At least I think so._  Haley only nodded and then started walking down the sidewalk again. It felt like progress. 

Nicole caught up with Haley. “What about you? Dating anyone?” She asked.

“Not right now. There was a guy, a few months ago, but he broke up with me.”

“Sorry to hear that.” 

“It’s okay. I like this other guy right now - Doug. Not sure if you remember him from last night.” Nicole nodded. She thought her sister seemed particularly flirty with him, but she wasn’t about to bring it up unsolicited. “I’m not sure if he’s into me, though.”

“We’ve all been there,” Nicole replied.

“With a guy?” Haley asked.

Nicole smiled a little and shook her head. “Girls.”

“Is it any easier, with girls? Less drama, I mean?”

“Definitely not,” Nicole said with a laugh. She threw an arm around Haley and suggested they go get beer. At a nearby bar, they talked more about Haley’s “Doug situation.” It made Nicole feel like a proper older sister again, being a sounding board for Haley and her romantic travails. And it made her sad for the time they had lost. 

As they waited on another round of drinks, Haley suddenly blurted out, “It was my fault, back in high school.”

Nicole was confused. “What was your fault?”

“How Mom and Dad treated you. I saw you with Jenny, and I told them about it.”

Jenny. Nicole hadn’t thought about her in a long, long time. She was Nicole’s first kiss, first sort-of girlfriend. Jenny moved to town her junior year, and they played on the varsity basketball team together. They grew close rather quickly, and then one day, when they were hanging out after practice, Jenny kissed her. Immediately, so many things started to make sense to Nicole, started to feel right in a way they never did when she kissed a boy. 

They saw each other, surreptitiously, for a few months. Jenny would come over to study or to shoot baskets, and on weekends, they would spend the night at each other’s houses. It was such a crazy time, thinking a back. Nicole remembered being in a constant state of happiness and terror. There was only one openly gay student at her high school, a boy in the class ahead of her who starred in all the plays and musicals. No one was openly hostile towards him, though Nicole overheard some of her guy friends make mean comments about him sometimes. To this day, she regretted not speaking out when they did so. 

“I saw you kissing Jenny one day, in the woods at the park. I told Mom,” Haley explained. “Well I didn’t tell her right away, but a couple weeks later, Mom caught me smoking a cigarette. She asked why I couldn’t be more like you, and I just . . . ” Haley paused.

“You what?” Nicole asked quietly.

“I said if they wanted me to be more like you, then I’d start kissing girls too.”

It clicked into place, the sudden change in their parents’ behavior toward Nicole, toward Jenny. One day, her mother started insisting that they study in the kitchen, rather than in Nicole’s room. She came up with reasons that Nicole couldn’t spend the night at Jenny’s house, or vice-versa. Then summer came, and Jenny went off to camp. Without Jenny around, and with her parents and Haley’s apparent indifference toward her, Nicole felt isolated. 

It got worse when just before school started, Jenny came back and said she was seeing someone else, a girl who went to another school nearby that she’d met at camp. Heartbroken and lonely, Nicole poured all her energy into school and sports. The day she got the scholarship to BCU, she cried with joy. She thought her parents would be thrilled, but her Dad simply gave her a pat on the back. Her Mother said congratulations and went right back to her conversation with Haley about an upcoming shopping trip.

“I feel like its my fault, how Mom and Dad treated you. Maybe if they had found out on your terms,” Haley added.

“Nothing would be different. They are who they are, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.”

“You never know,” Haley said optimistically. “But anyway, I’m so sorry, Nicole.”

“You were young, Haley. You made a mistake. Mom and Dad would have found out sooner or later.”

“But I’m sorry how I was about it too. I think a part of me was just glad they didn’t think you were so perfect anymore. Not that there was, is, anything wrong with you. I just mean . . .” Tears started welling in Haley’s eyes.

“I understand what you’re saying,” Nicole said as she put her hand on Haley’s, seeking to reassure her. “But thank you.”

More beers arrived, and they dropped the subject in favor of where they were going to have dinner and what movie they were planning to see.

Later that night, as Nicole laid on Haley’s couch, trying to get to sleep, her phone pinged. It was Waverly, who must have finally gotten off work.

> **[Sent by Waverly at 11:32 PM]** Did you have a fun day with your sister?
> 
> **[Nicole:]** Yeah, it was great.

And it was the truth. As painful as Haley’s admission had been, Nicole could not muster any anger at her over it. Haley was young at the time, and she was not responsible for how their parents reacted. The confrontation in college might have happened the same exact way, no matter what. And Nicole was so much different now, her life was so much different, that is seemed a lifetime away.

Nicole exchanged a few more texts with Waverly before they said goodnight. As she finally drifted, Nicole was not thinking of the past but instead about Waverly’s beautiful smile.

xxxxx

The next morning, Nicole and Haley headed out to breakfast. Haley seemed nervous, more reserved than the evening before. Nicole hoped it wasn’t temporary, their newfound closeness. But perhaps Haley was just tired.

“Table for two?” the hostess asked. Nicole nodded. 

“Four, actually,” Haley interjected. Nicole was taken aback. Haley’s roommates had both declined to join them. Before Nicole could ask for clarification, Haley was already following the hostess to their table, a four-top by the window. Once they were seated, Nicole asked who they were meeting.

“Mom and Dad want to see you,” Haley replied softly. 

“They’re coming here? Right now?” Nicole felt panicked. She looked around the restaurant. Haley bit her lip and nodded. There was a hint of regret on her face as she took in Nicole’s reaction.

xxxxx

“Nicole, I didn’t know. I swear,” Nicole heard Haley say as she rushed out the door fifteen minutes later. Their parents were presumably still sitting at the table, having said their piece. “They told me they wanted to make up with you.”

But that was very much not the case. Their tone may have been sweet and conciliatory, but their words revealed the truth. They had come only to judge, and Nicole was having none of that any more.

Nicole walked quickly down the sidewalk, refusing to turn around. Haley did not follow her, and for that, she was glad. Nothing Haley could say in that moment would help, and it prevented Nicole from saying something to her sister she would regret. Nicole hated that her parents could still make her feel this way, after she’d done so much with her life, so much of it on her own. Nicole was proud of who she was, but she realized that she would never quite get over the void left by her parents’ absence from her life, or how their judgment and disdain now marred all the wonderful memories from her childhood.

She walked a couple blocks, absentmindedly flipping her phone over in her hand as she did so. Finally, with trembling hands, she dialed.

The phone rang a long time. Nicole realized she had not considered the time change. Finally, the ringing stopped. 

“Hey, do you have a minute?” Nicole said.

“Sure,” said Shae.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 2018, everyone. Please submit all complaints about Nicole Haught's phone call in the comments. :)


	14. Surprises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not all surprises are good...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So as I was editing this chapter, I realized I probably should up the rating of this fic to E, just in case. Feel free to register your complaints in the comments. ;)

It had been almost a week since Nicole’s return from Toronto. She hadn’t told Waverly about what happened with her parents and wasn’t planning to anytime soon. Instead, Nicole did what she’d done years before, pushing the entire thing to the corner of her mind where she stored her painful memories, and resolved to resume the busy and happy life she’d made for herself here in the Big City as if it never happened.

Waverly had three midterms the week after Nicole returned. She stayed in the city one night, but she was fairly preoccupied with studying and didn’t seem to notice that anything had gone awry with Nicole’s trip. It was now the weekend, and Waverly would be staying for the weekend. Quality time with her girlfriend was exactly what Nicole needed to leave the confrontation with her parents behind her for good.

On Friday night, Nicole and Waverly were planning to see a movie, but first they were having dinner with Jimmy after his shift. They had brought back Chinese takeout. Wordlessly, the two of them got everything ready as they waited for Jimmy to arrive home. Nicole set the table, while Waverly started opening up the cartons to see what was what. Nicole noticed that Waverly started doctoring up her beef and broccoli without Nicole even asking. It was a little thing, but it made Nicole’s heart flutter a little. She came up to Waverly from behind, wrapped her arms around her, closed her eyes, and just held her girlfriend for a moment.

Waverly stopped what she was doing. “I’ve missed you too,” she said quietly. She had no idea how much those words meant to Nicole in that moment, how they were a balm to her wounded soul. They stood like that for a minute, silent and still. Then the apartment door clicked, announcing Jimmy’s arrival, and the moment was over.

They all ate hungrily. As they were finishing up, Jimmy got a text from Edie, who was arriving the next day.

“She wants to know if we’re all still going to Marcy’s party tomorrow night.” Jimmy said.

“What’s this?” Waverly asked, looking at Nicole. Nicole had been so distracted during the week that she had failed to mention it.

“Our friend Marcy is having a housewarming party tomorrow night. We knew her back in school,” Nicole explained.

“Sounds like fun.”

“So are we going?” Jimmy asked.

“Yeah, okay,” Nicole said.

xxxxx

“I cannot believe we have the whole day,” Waverly said. It was Saturday morning, and they were still in bed. Nicole was refreshed, having slept better than she had all week. Waverly was curled into her, one of her arms strewn across Nicole’s stomach. Nicole was slowly running a hand through Waverly’s brunette locks, wondering silently whether she should grow hers back out like Haley was doing.

“So what do you want to do today?” Nicole asked. “Climbing?”

“Maybe later,” Waverly replied.

“The history museum?” Nicole suggested. “We haven’t been in a while.”

“No.”

“We could just veg on the couch until the party tonight. There are a couple new things on Netflix that look good.” Nicole could feel Waverly shake her head. “Another movie?” Another shake. Nicole was starting to run out of ideas.

Waverly apparently had ideas of her own. She pulled the bottom of Nicole’s tank top up, exposing Nicole’s stomach. She shifted and kissed Nicole just above her belly button.

The effect on Nicole was immediate, a surge of electricity running through her. She gripped Waverly’s shoulder, trying to beckon her up. But when she looked down, Waverly was moving in the opposite direction. She kissed Nicole’s stomach again, but lower. And then she started pulling at Nicole’s pajamas pants and underwear, planting kisses along the way.

_Oh shit._

Nicole tried not to get ahead of herself. As enthusiastic as Waverly was a lover, that was not something they had done yet. Or more precisely, Waverly had not yet done that to Nicole. She figured it would happen in time, and Nicole could hardly complain otherwise, so it wasn’t something she’d really thought about.

That was a lie. Nicole had definitely thought about it, in her dreams and otherwise. And now that it seemed like it might happen...

Waverly disappeared under the covers, slowing making her way down Nicole’s legs, taking Nicole’s pajamas and underwear with her until Nicole was completely bare. Nicole was almost paralyzed by desire. She could feel herself getting wetter with every touch, every kiss. When Waverly emerged from the covers, she climbed all the way up and kissed Nicole on the lips.

_So maybe not?_

They kissed deeply, almost lazily, for a few minutes, their tongues pressing and exploring. Then Waverly sat up and took off her own shirt before coming back down to her. She gave Nicole a quick kiss before whispering, “I need you to tell me.” Waverly sounded a little apprehensive.

Nicole understood. “I can show you first,” she offered, running the hand that had been on Waverly’s lower back to her front, and giving her a teasing touch. Waverly briefly closed her eyes, but when she opened them again, she shook her head and got a determined look in her eyes, one that Nicole was used to seeing when Waverly was writing a paper or peering up at the climbing wall.

Nicole bit her lip and nodded. “Okay, I will,” she said seriously. Then Waverly leaned down and kissed her one more time before making her way back down Nicole’s body with her lips.

Just the build up was agonizing and wonderful. Nicole felt a little responsible, like she’d taught Waverly the value of patience, how the anticipation could make the payoff. She stopped at Nicole’s breasts, teasing the nipples with her tongue, until they were both pert and hard. Then Waverly left a trail straight down the path from between her breasts to just above her curls, before diverting to the top of one of Nicole’s thighs.

The kisses continued down the full length of the thigh, then Waverly gently spread Nicole’s legs apart a little wider, granting her better access. She started working her way back up the inside of the same thigh with her lips, the tension in Nicole’s body slowly building with each kiss.

The final kiss was so high, so _close_ , that Nicole could feel Waverly’s breath on her sex. She squirmed in anticipation, but Waverly kissed the top of the other thigh instead, with smiling lips. Waverly was clearly enjoying turning the tables on her, and Nicole was loving every torturous second of it.

After leaving a trail of kisses down the top of Nicole’s other thigh, Waverly finally began her slow ascent up the inside. Most of the kisses were soft, but a few times, Waverly nipped at Nicole’s soft flesh with her teeth. Nicole’s body pulsed with need, and she started to squirm, but Waverly ran a hand up to Nicole’s stomach to still her.

Waverly settled between her legs, and Nicole felt Waverly’s warm breath on her sex again. She thought it might be enough, just by itself, to undo her. And then finally, Waverly started to probe with her tongue, sliding in and then up, over and over. Everything in Nicole’s world went blurry for a bit.

“Nicole?” Waverly’s voice brought her back down a little.

“You’re doing great, baby.” Nicole said with a tremble. Waverly continued, punctuating some of her journeys with a quick flick of her clit. When Waverly hooked her arms under Nicole’s thighs, creating a delicious angle, Nicole knew she was nearly done for.

“Oh fuck me,” Nicole growled when Waverly punctuated a particularly languid lick by taking her clit fully into her mouth. She could feel Waverly let out a little laugh before she moved back down, starting up her slick path again. Nicole ran a hand through Waverly’s hair affectionately and let out a deep moan of pleasure. Waverly picked up her pace, and it wasn’t long after that Nicole’s whole body tensed and then shuddered with release.

Waverly slid a couple fingers inside her and while she worked her way up Nicole’s torso with her lips, helping Nicole come down a little more slowly. When Waverly reached her mouth, Nicole could taste herself on Waverly’s lips. The kiss was searing, but brief, and then Waverly collapsed atop her, burying her head in Nicole’s neck. Nicole rubbed Waverly’s back as her body continued to tingle.

After a few minutes, when Nicole had her breath and wits back, she rolled them over with as much coordination as she could muster and gazed down at Waverly.

“Well that was surprise,” Nicole said, brushing a stray lock of hair out of Waverly’s face.

“Surprise good?” Waverly asked, then bit her lip.

“Waverly,” Nicole said with a scolding tone, before giving her a brief kiss. “Surprise _great_. Of course,” Nicole added with a smile.

Waverly looked relieved. “I was, you know, a little scared. You sort of set a high bar.”

Nicole felt a blush coming on and looked away for a moment.

_I love you. I love you. I love you._

At this point, it was becoming a bit of a thing, the fact that they hadn't said it. It was constantly on the tip of Nicole’s tongue, and based on the way Waverly looked at her sometimes, Nicole felt the reverse was true as well.

_Would this be a weird moment to say it?_

Nicole decided it might be, so she simply said, “Baby, that was wonderful.” Then she kissed her lovely girlfriend, determined to show her just how high the bar could go.

xxxxx

That afternoon, they went climbing after all. Edie was spending the afternoon with her mother and sister, going wedding dress shopping, so Jimmy joined them at the gym.

Nicole belayed for Waverly as she climbed. Jimmy stood next to her. Even though they lived together, Nicole felt like they hardly saw each other anymore. They were on different training rotations, Nicole was wrapped up in her new relationship with Waverly, and Jimmy spent a lot of his free time on wedding stuff.

“So I talked to Lopez this week,” Jimmy said, referring to the possibility of a transfer to Vancouver for a couple years while Edie finished school and did her residency.

“And?”

“He said it shouldn't be a problem if we move back and I want to come back to the BCPD. He can't guarantee I'll get credit for all my service time, but he said he’d do everything he could.”

“So it's a done deal?”

“Yeah.”

Nicole knew this was a possibility once Jimmy told her he planned to propose. It was easier for him to move than for Edie to transfer school. But it was still a bummer, and it took away one of main reasons Nicole wanted to stay with the BCPD.

Waverly was near the top of the wall, and they watched her silently for a moment.

“She’s going to end up being better than you,” Jimmy commented after Waverly rang the bell, completing the hardest route she'd ever tried.

“I know, right?” Nicole replied as she lowered Waverly down slowly. Waverly had improved at a rapid pace. She was incredibly strong and had excellent balance, which made up for her lack of reach.

After Waverly touched down, Jimmy gave her a high five, then unhooked her from the rope and hooked himself up. After Nicole double checked the rope, Jimmy started climbing.

“That was awesome, by the way.” Nicole said after Waverly returned with some water. “We have got to get you outside once it's warm enough.”

“I’d like that,” Waverly said with a smile. Any concern Nicole had over Wynonna’s comment at Christmas had long since dissipated, particularly when it came to the climbing. These days, Waverly was more apt to suggest it as an activity than Nicole.

“Maybe somewhere up near Purgatory?” Nicole suggested.

“Sure, or wherever,” Waverly said vaguely as she peered up at Jimmy.

On the other hand, Nicole’s questions about Purgatory remained. Waverly hadn’t invited her back, and Nicole had not yet come up with a reason to invite herself. But Jimmy reached a tricky part of his climb, so Nicole made sure to give him her full attention and left the issue for another day.

xxxxx

It was an unseasonably warm evening for March in the Big City. Marcy’s house was a narrow, two-story home in and older neighbourhood that she had redone with her boyfriend. Inside, people were gathered around the TV, watching a hockey game. In the small back yard, Marcy’s boyfriend was grilling food, and people were playing backyard games under the illumination of strands of lights. Nicole introduced Waverly to Marcy and some of her other BCU classmates, and they socialized and played games outside for awhile.

Later, Nicole went inside in search of the bathroom. She never made it. Instead, she found Shae standing in the kitchen, drinking a bottle of beer. Because of course Shae was here, at this very party, on this night, of all nights. She was like a ghost of girlfriends past that Nicole could not seem to exorcise.

Nicole tried to slip through the kitchen before Shae noticed her, but to no avail. Shae called out her name. Nicole ignored her, but Shae followed her into the narrow hallway between the kitchen and the entryway. She grabbed Nicole by the arm, spinning her around.

“Are you seriously running away from me right now?” Shae asked.

“I don’t know what to say,” Nicole said sheepishly.

“Well you sure had a lot to say the other day.”

“I was upset. I didn’t know who to call.

“Try calling your _girlfriend_ ,” Shae said bitterly. “I saw her outside.”

As much as Nicole hated to admit it, Shae was right. If Nicole had just told Waverly about her parents, she would have had no reason to call Shae in the first place. Nicole was on the verge of apologizing for dragging Shae back into the drama with her parents, and to thank her for listening, but Shae spoke up first.

“Or is just about sex with her?”

And there it was, the Shae she remembered, the one who would bring a gun to a knife fight. Nicole felt her blood starting to boil but said as calmly as she could. “Shae, please don't be like that. I love her.”

“Yeah, well you loved me too, remember?” Shae laughed. “I feel sorry for that poor girl. You’ll make her fall in love with you, and then you’ll pitch her aside before she knows what hit her.”

Nicole knew this was going nowhere productive. She was not in the mood to re-litigate their relationship, nor defend her current one any further. She knew from experience that once Shae started fighting dirty, there was no going back. It was better to just walk away. But first, Nicole looked Shae in the eye and said, “I’m sorry. I really am.” Then she turned and walked down the hall. When she reached the entryway, there was Waverly, holding a beer and sporting a pained expression.

_Shit._

“Waverly,” Nicole said softly. It was unclear how much Waverly had heard, but it was enough to make her turn to the door and leave.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The response to the last chapter was lovely and very interesting, and I expect you all may have some thoughts on this as well. Luckily, you won't have to wait long to find out what happens next. I'll post the next chapter -- which is one of the longer ones of the fic -- on Monday.
> 
> And thank you to everyone who has or will leave a comment. I love reading people's reactions as they make their way through the story. I'm sure what I write doesn't always line up with what you all expect (or like), but I try to be as true to the emotional state of the characters as possible and how they might deal with the problems in front of them. Relationships are hard, but people can learn from their mistakes. (I'm hoping the real Nicole and Waverly learn from some of their Season 2 mistakes in the new season.)


	15. Curtis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Have Waverly and Nicole learned from their mistakes?

“Waverly, please,” she heard Nicole say as she briskly retreated down the sidewalk, away from Marcy’s house

Her blood was running hot, but Waverly felt compelled to stop. She turned to see Nicole, anguish plastered across her face, her longs legs quickly closing the distance remaining between them. 

“Waverly, can we please talk about this?” Nicole asked when she reached her. She stuck out a hand, but Waverly recoiled. Nicole grimaced and took a step back before putting her hands in her pockets. She looked resigned to wait for Waverly to do, or say, something.

_ “I was upset. I didn’t know who to call.” _

Nicole’s words to Shae rang in Waverly’s head. Waverly thought back to the other night when she stayed at Nicole’s apartment. She recalled feeling like Nicole’s vague comments about her trip seemed inconsistent with the glowing texts that she had sent during the actual trip. But clearly something happened, and Waverly kicked herself for not seeing what was right in front of her.

Whatever upset Nicole, the fact that it prompted her to call Shae, and not Waverly, stung. Months ago, Nicole had said in no uncertain terms that she was not interested in getting back with her ex-girlfriend. Waverly had believed her and had barely given Shae a second thought since then. But was that belief misplaced? Was Nicole still talking to Shae? Or was this a one-time thing?

_ “I love her.” _

Those words should have made Waverly’s heart soar, but instead it felt like a punch to the gut to hear Nicole say them to another person first, to  _ Shae _ , and under these circumstances. Then of course, there was Shae’s rejoinder.

_ “You’ll make her fall in love with you, and then you’ll pitch her aside before she knows what hit her.” _

But Waverly had already fallen, hard. The past few months had confirmed that what she felt back on Christmas Eve was real -- she loved Nicole. And though the words remained unsaid, she felt that love returned. It was there, in the way Nicole looked at her, in the way she listened, in the way she touched her. Waverly thought it what they had was steadfast and true, but was it? Waverly knew all too well that another person’s love -- a mother’s, a sister’s, a lover’s -- didn’t guarantee a thing. And the last ten minutes provided a stark reminder that Nicole could easily break her heart, just as she’d clearly broken Shae’s.

“Waverly?” Nicole said quietly. Waverly did not realize she had zoned out as these thoughts bounced around her head. She blinked and looked at Nicole, who had not moved from her spot.

Waverly wanted to stay angry at Nicole, to be scared. But her heart felt tethered to Nicole in a way that would no longer allow her to simply run away anymore. She took a deep breath and decided to do what Nicole did for her, many months ago after Waverly left with the city without a word -- she pushed her own feelings of hurt and confusion aside to consider Nicole’s first. All of this happened because something had upset her girlfriend, and Waverly wanted to know what.

“Let’s go back to your place,” Waverly said. Nicole exhaled with relief and got out her phone to call an Uber.

xxxxx

They sat at the kitchen table in Nicole’s apartment. After Waverly had run out of Marcy’s house, Nicole caught up to her quickly. They exchanged only a few words, but Waverly’s anger seemed to dissipate on the spot, and she was the one who suggested they head back to the apartment. The ride to the apartment was done in an uncomfortable silence, but once they got back and settled in, Waverly got right to it.

“When did you call Shae?”

“My last morning in Toronto.”

“Why?”

“For no  _ good  _ reason,” Nicole replied, still angry with herself over it. Waverly gave her a look. “It’s a long story,” Nicole said.

Waverly glanced up at the clock. “Then you’d better get to talking.”

Nicole told her about high school, Jenny, her parents, her sister, the visit in college, and finally, what happened when she was in Toronto, including Haley’s admission and what her parents said at breakfast. Waverly was mostly silent, though she interjected with the occasional question.

When the tale was more-or-less complete, Waverly asked, “Why didn't you tell me any of this before?”

“Well it’s not exactly an enticing tale to tell the girl you’re interested in -- that you’ve barely spoken to your parents since you came out out to them. I didn't want to scare you away from me, or from being who you are.”

“So after you saw your parents, why did you call Shae?” Waverly asked, her eyes focused on the middle of the table.

“I was upset. Everything went down when we were together, so she knows all about my parents. But I realized after a couple minutes that it was a mistake.” Nicole leaned back in her chair and ran a hand through her hair. 

After a beat, Waverly said, “You still could’ve called me. I mean, you say you --” Waverly swallowed that thought, then finally looked back at Nicole. “If you knew you made a mistake, why  _ didn’t  _ you just call me next?”

“I don’t know. I think I just wanted to forget about the whole thing and get home. I know I should have.” Nicole leaned forward and put her left hand on the table. “I’m so sorry, Waverly.”

Nicole was relieved when Waverly lowered her right hand on top of Nicole’s open palm, then started to trace the faint scar that Nicole still had from her rock-climbing slip. The sensation made Nicole’s hand flinch, and Waverly grabbed it reassuringly. “You don’t have to protect me from your past, Nicole.”

“Same to you,” Nicole replied sharply before she’d really thought it through, and Waverly’s eyes snapped up. She had known from the beginning that beneath all her warmth and sweetness, Waverly had a darkness in her. Nicole thought back to the first time they had coffee, Waverly almost joking about her father who died when she was young, her mother who abandoned her, her sister who had disappeared and was now presumed dead, and Wynonna’s time in an institution. But that was all Nicole really knew about any of it because she never had the nerve to ask, and Waverly was certainly not forthcoming on the subject.

“This isn’t about me,” Waverly said.

“Come on, Waverly. I know there are lots things you haven’t told me.”

Waverly glared back at her. “That’s different.”

“How?”

Waverly looked away and said nothing. As they sat in silence, Nicole regretted not telling Waverly earlier in the day that she loved her. If she said it at any point in this conversation, it would feel like an empty gesture used to resolve an argument rather than a bold declaration of everything Waverly made her feel.

Her girlfriend seemed dug in, unwilling to open up about her past in the same way she had just forced Nicole to. Although Nicole felt it was a little unfair, she didn’t want to prolong this argument. But she did feel justified in asking for a little in return, so she asked the question that had been churning in her mind for weeks.

xxxxx

Nicole woke up the next morning to an empty bed. She had a moment of panic until she saw Waverly’s bag was still on the chair in the corner. She checked her phone and saw she had a text.

> **[Sent by Waverly at 7:09 AM:]** Out getting coffee and donuts. Don't go anywhere. :)

Nicole tucked herself back in and thought about last night. 

It felt like a victory that Waverly wanted to stay over. Nicole had offered to sleep on the couch, but Waverly said no. Things were still a little tense as they got ready for bed, but after Nicole slid under the covers and turned off the lamp, the darkness and warmth seemed to take some of the edge off things. They laid silently on their backs for a few minutes, then Waverly took Nicole’s hand in her own and rolled onto her side, bringing Nicole with her. 

They were quiet until Waverly asked the darkness, “Were you in love with Jenny?”

Nicole had thought about this before. “In a way, maybe. I’m not sure I really understood that kind of love at that age.”

“But you  _ were _ in love with Shae?”

“Yes.” Nicole took a deep breath before asking, “What about Champ?”

Waverly was silent for a moment. “No, I don’t think I actually was,” she said, finally. 

It was not the answer Nicole was expecting, and though it hardly seem to matter now, one way or the other, it still made Nicole’s heart skip a little. She pulled Waverly a little closer.

Waverly yawned, then said sleepily, “I’m sorry all that happened, with your parents, and I'm glad you told me.”

“I am too.” Nicole kissed Waverly’s shoulder before adding, “Good night, Waverly.”

Waverly snuggled back a little closer before pulling Nicole’s hand up and kissing it. It was not “I love you,” but after all that had happened, Nicole felt it was enough.

The click of the apartment lock click and the patter of feet down the hallway brought Nicole back to the present. A few moments later, Waverly appeared in the doorway, bearing hot drinks and a box of donuts. She was wearing jeans and one of Nicole’s police academy sweatshirts, which was already big on Nicole so it looked comically large on Waverly. And yet, Waverly looked adorable.

“Should I get up?” Nicole asked. 

Waverly shook her head, sat down on the bed next to Nicole, crossed her legs under her. Nicole took the coffee carrier and set it on the nightstand, while Waverly opened up the donuts.

“Are these the same?” Nicole wondered after she picked up the two cups.

“One is a vanilla latte, the other caramel-flavored. You pick,” Waverly replied as she chose a donut out of the box. 

Nicole finally noticed the notations on the cups, and opted for the caramel coffee, handing the latte to Waverly. “Thanks for getting all this,” she said before leaning over and giving Waverly a kiss. Much to Nicole’s relief, it felt like a normal morning for them, none of the tension from the night before lingering.

“So I've been thinking,” Waverly said between bites. Nicole looked over and waited for more. “Last night, when you asked about Purgatory, you may have had a point. I  _ am  _ a little worried about how people will react.”

Waverly had denied it in the moment. But her initial reaction was understandable. It was a tricky subject, as Nicole knew all too well. 

“And that's okay,” Nicole said. 

“It’s just easier being here, where everyone already knows and no one seems to care.”

“Oh there are still people who do.” Nicole hadn’t had someone say or do anything to her in years. She had been pleasantly surprised that none of her fellow cadets, nor the officers, seemed to care. But she was always aware of the possibility, even in the city. Waverly’s last confrontation with Mitch being a prime example.

“I know.” Waverly replied darkly. Nicole wondered if she was thinking about the same thing.

Nicole put her hand on Waverly’s knee, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “It's a big deal so please believe me when I say there’s no rush. But it does feel better to talk about it.”

“Agreed,” Waverly replied with a smile, and they went back to their breakfast.

xxxxx

The next day, Waverly called Nicole during a break from her evening shift at Shorty’s. Her call actually woke up Nicole, who had fallen asleep on the couch after her own shift.

“So I told Chrissy today,” Waverly said excitedly.

Nicole was still waking up so she simply muttered, “About?” 

“About us.”   


That woke Nicole up rather quickly. “And?”

“She was a little surprised at first, but she was just glad to know why I was gone all the time.”

“Well that’s good.”

“Yeah, I just feel like an asshole now for keeping it a secret for so long.”

“Is she mad?” Nicole asked.

“I don’t think so. She made me to show her a bunch of pictures of you. She thinks you’re really pretty, by the way.”

“You think I could get her number?” Nicole deadpanned.

“Now who’s the asshole?” Waverly replied, and they both laughed. There was a little pause, and then Waverly added. “And I was talking to Gus. Curtis’ birthday is in a couple weeks. We are planning to take him out to dinner, and I want you to come with us.”

“Sounds like fun. Where should we take them? Martin Seafood? Tortorellas?”

“No, silly. Curtis hates the city. We’ll take him to dinner here in Purgatory. He and Gus just want to get to know you better.”

Nicole thought she understood what was happening. She was excited about it, but she wanted to make sure Waverly was sure. “Are you ready for that?” 

“I will be. I promise.”

“Then I will be there.”

xxxxx

The day of Curtis’ birthday dinner, Nicole worked the day shift. Afterwards, she showered and got ready at the station best she could, then hopped in the car she'd rented that morning and headed for Purgatory. She had called Waverly during her lunch break, and she sounded completely normal, while Nicole felt nervous. But after they got off the phone, Waverly texted her a heart, a gesture she usually reserved for after they said goodbye. It set Nicole at ease, and the rest of Nicole’s day flew by.

When Nicole arrived in Purgatory, she drove straight to the restaurant. They were eating at Tino’s, an Italian place. (“Don't expect too much,” Waverly had warned her. “But Curtis loves it.”) Nicole checked her hair and makeup in the mirror and grabbed the nice bottle of gin she had bought for Curtis. She knew the other three were already at the restaurant, courtesy of a text from Waverly. Nicole felt bad, as if she was late, but Waverly explained that Curtis was always early, and to not worry about it.

The restaurant was almost completely full, but Nicole spotted Waverly right away. She told the hostess she saw her party, and went to join them. Waverly noticed her too and stood from the table. Gus and Curtis followed suit. 

As Nicole approached, she wondered whether she should kiss Waverly hello. Normally she would, particularly after they hadn’t seen each other for almost a week. But this was a busy restaurant on a Friday night in Purgatory, so she decided to follow Waverly’s lead. When Waverly simply hugged her, Nicole felt a little flutter or disappointment. 

After she shook Curtis’ hand and exchanged pleasantries with Gus, they all sat down, and Nicole handed over Curtis’ birthday present.

He let out a low whistle and admired the bottle. “I’ve not had this before. I’m sure it’s delicious.”

“My friend Edie is a gin drinker too. She recommended it,” Nicole explained. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Gus winking at Waverly from across the table.

“Well thank you, Nicole. That’s very thoughtful of you,” Curtis replied.

Dinner was fun. The food was good, the company even better. As they waited on their dessert, Waverly made Curtis tell the story of how he and Gus met. 

After some heavy rain, Curtis took his truck out mudding. Ultimately, he got stuck and had started walking back toward town when Gus came down the road. She drove him back and pulled his truck out of the mud with her own. As a thank you, Curtis took Gus out to dinner, and they had been together ever since.

“Moral of the story -- if you find a girl who has four-wheel drive, don’t let her get away,” Curtis said, with a wink at Nicole.

As they all laughed, Nicole gave Waverly’s a knee a squeeze under the table. Waverly took her hand, and then leaned over and kissed Nicole on the cheek. It was a small gesture, but Nicole felt her cheeks redden just a little.

“This one doesn’t even have her own car,” Waverly said, nodding at Nicole.

“At least she carries a gun,” said Gus. They all laughed heartily. Nicole was enjoying herself more than she could have imagined.

They decided to head to Shorty’s after dinner for a drink and some pool. It was a pleasant evening, and Shorty’s was only a few blocks from the restaurant, so they all opted to walk over. Once outside Tino’s, Waverly looped an arm through Nicole’s and they strolled, slowly, a few steps behind Gus and Curtis.

“That was fun,” Nicole said.

“It really was. Thank you for coming. I know it was a pain to switch your schedule around and rent the car.”

“Worth it,” Nicole replied. “Is Chrissy still able to meet up with us for a drink?”

“No, I got a text from her earlier. Her flight was delayed so she won’t be back in town until after midnight.” Waverly reached into the pocket of her jacket and pulled out her phone. “Let’s send her a picture.” 

They ended up taking a selfie in front of the Shorty’s sign. Waverly sent the photo to Chrissy then typed out a text, reading it aloud as she went. “My girlfriend thinks you’re avoiding her.”

“Waverly!” Nicole exclaimed, reaching for the phone, but Waverly had already sent the text. She looked up at Nicole mischievously. “Ass,” Nicole muttered her breath as she put an arm around Waverly’s shoulders and steered her toward the door.

When Nicole and Waverly walked into the bar, Curtis was showing Shorty the bottle of gin that Nicole had given him. “That’s nice stuff,” Shorty commented. “You sure you don’t want to open that up tonight?” He asked.

“Hands off, you cheap bastard, and pour us some drinks,” Curtis replied, snatching back his bottle.

They drank whiskey as they played pool. If anyone noticed that Waverly and Nicole stood arm-in-arm while they waited on Gus or Curtis to take a shot, or the time Waverly kissed her on the lips after Nicole made a particularly tricky bank shot, none of the patrons said anything.

After Gus and Curtis left, Nicole and Waverly sat on the same side of a small booth in the back corner, finishing up the final round of drinks they had won off of Gus and Curtis. Just as she had done the other night, Waverly was tracing her finger along the scar from where Nicole had scraped her hand while rock climbing. It made Nicole think of the day she first came to Purgatory, how she almost hadn’t left her number for Waverly, and how much different her life might be if she hadn’t.

“Well aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” said a voice Nicole had not heard since that day. She looked over and saw Waverly’s ex-boyfriend, Champ, standing at the end of their booth, holding a beer.

Nicole glanced over at Waverly to gauge her reaction. Nicole started to withdraw her hand from the table, but Waverly grabbed it. “Hey Champ,” Waverly said evenly. 

“So this is what you’ve been doing? Or who you’ve been doing?” He said with a leer. “Disgusting,” he muttered under his breath. 

“Champ!” Waverly said sharply.

He ignored her, leaning on the table and looking directly at Nicole. She could smell his breath, stale with beer. “So you just swooped in from the Big City and stole my girl, huh?”

“She wasn’t yours to steal,” Nicole said as calmly as she could. She wanted so badly to stand up out of the booth and show Champ she was not intimidated by his macho rodeo bullshit. But Waverly had her hand in an iron grip.

Champ started to say something else, but a gravelly voice beat him to it. “Champ Hardy.” 

He stood up straight and turned around. Sheriff Nedley was standing behind him. “You aren’t bothering these two young ladies, are you?” Nicole saw the sheriff glance over at her and Waverly’s hands, but his face betrayed nothing.

“No, sir,” Champ responded.

“Good, because I’d hate to have you spend another night in jail. Once a month is quite enough, don’t you think?” 

Champ shuffled off without a word or even a glance back in their direction. Nedley came a step closer to the booth. Nicole was worried he might mention something about the deputy job. 

“Enjoy the rest of your evening, Waverly.” He nodded at Nicole. “Officer Haught,” he said before walking back over to the bar.

xxxxx

The next morning, Nicole woke up in Purgatory for the first time since Christmas Eve morning. Waverly was still asleep, so Nicole was alone with her thoughts. She felt good about the trip. Dinner had been fun, as had Shorty’s, despite the brief encounter with Champ. She was grateful for the sheriff’s interference but wondered if it changed anything for him, though she got the impression that he already knew, somehow, about her and Waverly. Captain Lopez could have told him, but it seemed unlikely that he had discussed her personal life with the sheriff.

She felt Waverly stir awake. Nicole’s stomach was already grumbling but she gave Waverly a few minutes to really wake up before suggesting coffee and donuts. Waverly rubbed her eyes again and shook her head. “Gus wants us to meet them for breakfast at the diner at nine,” she explained.

That didn’t leave them much time, so they showered and got ready in a flurry. Half and hour later, they were sitting in a booth across from Gus and Curtis, ordering breakfast. 

“How much later did you stay at Shorty’s after we left?” Gus asked.

“I think we stayed down there until eleven?” Waverly guessed. Nicole nodded. “We ran into Champ,” Waverly added. Gus and Curtis both raised their eyebrows. “He was being kind of an asshole, but Sheriff Nedley showed up.”

The waitress stopped by with more coffee. “Thanks, Maggie,” Waverly said after the waitress refilled her cup.

“This your girlfriend?” Maggie asked.

Waverly’s eyes widened in surprise. “Uh, yeah. This is Nicole. Nicole, this is Maggie. She was a few years ahead of me at Purg High.”

“I was in her sister’s class,” Maggie clarified, then said with smile, “Nice to meet you, Nicole.”

“You too,” Nicole replied. She looked over at Waverly, who had a confused look on her face.

“How do you think she knew?” She asked her aunt and uncle.

“Her cousin works over at Tino’s. I think he was bartending last night,” said Gus.

“Ah, Purgatory,” Waverly said with a smile and leaned her head on Nicole’s shoulder. But she immediately snapped her head back up and looked over at Nicole. “That reminds me, how did Sheriff Nedley know your name? Or that you’re a police officer?”

“Chrissy?” Nicole ventured.

“She promised not to tell anyone about you until after our dinner last night,” Waverly said, still looking puzzled.

“I told him,” Curtis interjected. “I ran into him as we left Shorty’s. I mentioned to him that you were inside with your girlfriend and that Nicole’s with the BCPD. Hope that was okay. I was a little tipsy at that point.”

“Ah, okay, and that’s fine,” Waverly replied, apparently convinced. Nicole wasn’t.

Just then, Maggie came over with their food. As she started setting it on the table, Nicole caught Curtis’ eye. With Waverly temporarily distracted with the syrup, she mouthed a quick “thank you” to him. Curtis just smiled. 

After they finished eating, Gus left the booth to talk to someone at the counter, and Waverly went to the bathroom, leaving Nicole alone with Curtis. “So when are you going to tell my niece about Randy’s offer?” Curtis asked, wasting no time.

“Soon,” Nicole said. She already had a plan on how she was going to do it. “How do you know about it?”

“Randy mentioned to me at poker last month that he was trying to hire a new deputy from the Big City. I asked who it was and imagine my surprise when it was you, Nicole.”

“Did you tell him about me and Waverly?”

“No, he already knew somehow. He asked me about it a couple weeks ago.”

Nicole looked out the window. She wondered if Chrissy had let something slip to her dad, or if Nedley had found out some other way. Regardless, it seemed like the fact that she was dating Waverly did not matter to the sheriff, which was a relief.

“Do you know what you’re gonna do yet, about the job?” Curtis asked.

Nicole shook her head and looked back at Curtis. “Not exactly,” she admitted.

“Fair enough, but you should probably tell Waverly about it before she finds out from someone else,” Curtis replied. “You saw how quickly information spreads in this town.”

Just then, Waverly returned to the table. Nicole gave Curtis a little nod, which he returned. 

“So what are we talking about?” Waverly asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I acknowledge that the first part of this chapter is a little bit of a cheat by using Waverly's perspective, but I think it was important for people to understand why she was willing to listen to Nicole rather than run away again. She's maturing!
> 
> I loved the comments on the last two chapters. I do think that based on what we know about these two from the show, this AU Nicole would hesitate to tell Waverly about her past if Waverly isn't being open about their relationship back home. Likewise, I don't think Waverly would come out to everyone right away. (There's no indication that she told Chrissy, for example, on the show. And I believe the only person she "told" without being forced to was Doc.) But people may disagree with my interpretation, and that's fair.
> 
> Also, comments are the BEST (whether positive or otherwise), so please leave one if you're so inclined. Also, as I told someone in the comments of the last chapter, sometimes l'll tweak things in the next chapter or down the road based on what someone says or asks in a comment. 
> 
> Update transparency: The next chapter, which I will advertise as being pretty darn fluffy, will post on Thursday. I think I'll be able to keep to my two-updates-per-week pace, but I have more travel coming up for work than anticipated so I might slow things down. I will be transparent if I do change my plans on that score.


	16. Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A road trip with some fluffy love time, bookended by a little Nicole background and a little forward movement.

When Nicole saw Waverly’s red Jeep turn the corner, she pushed herself up off the front steps of her building, grabbed her duffle and backpack, and walked over to the edge of the sidewalk. Waverly pulled up next to her seconds later. Her hair was loose, held back by a pair of sunglasses on the top of her head. She asked through the rolled-down window on the passenger side, “Did someone call for a cab?”

Nicole beamed. The last few weeks had been some of the happiest of her life. Telling Waverly about her parents had lifted a burden that Nicole had not realized she had been carrying, and Nicole’s trip to Purgatory seemed to have caused fewer waves around town than anticipated. Waverly did relay that Stephanie Jones seemed a little perturbed by the news.

“But Chrissy thinks she’s just mad I never hit on her,” Waverly had told her, chuckling.

Now they were going away together for the first time. After her trip to Purgatory, Nicole suggested they spend a weekend in Cannon at a cute bed and breakfast she remembered seeing during her week of training. Waverly was enthusiastic about the idea, and it all came together rather quickly.

Nicole threw her duffle in the back of the Jeep and climbed in. Before she buckled up, Nicole leaned over and gave Waverly a kiss. After they broke apart, they kept their foreheads together for a moment.

“Excited?” Nicole asked. Waverly smiled and nodded, then kissed Nicole again.

“Mind if we stop and grab some coffee on the way out of town?” Waverly asked after she steered the Jeep back out into the street.

“Sure, and I can drive down there if you want,” Nicole replied.

“That'd be nice, actually. I’m a little tired.”

After picking up some coffees to go, they headed out of town with Nicole in the driver’s seat. From the Big City, it was about a two-hour drive south, so they would get into town just before lunchtime.

“Looks like the weather will be perfect,” Waverly said, looking up from her phone.

“We could do that hike after lunch,” Nicole suggested. Waverly had exactly two requests for this trip: to visit spend some time in the _Cannon Gazette_ ’s archives for some research project for school, and to do the hike that Nicole and Jimmy had done when they stayed in Cannon last fall.

“I love that plan,” Waverly replied.

They chatted about Nicole’s latest rotation and Waverly’s upcoming finals for a bit, then they started talking about the rock climbing they planned to do near Purgatory after Waverly was done with school. It would be her first time climbing outdoors, and Nicole had been working with her on lead climbing at the gym in preparation.

“How’d you get into climbing, anyway?” Waverly asked.

“You want the long version or the short one?” Nicole replied.

“Long version. Always.” Waverly said.

xxxxx

It had all started the summer Nicole lived with her Great Aunt Millie in Ottawa, the summer before Nicole left for BCU.

Millie’s was a widow at 18. Her fiancé died in the World War II, and she never ended up getting married. Instead, she went to college and got her degree. She eventually got a job at a paper in Ottawa, working her way up to reporter and then eventually, a columnist. When she wasn't working, Millie traveled extensively, often by herself, which was very unusual for a woman at the time. Millie had always liked Nicole, and the feeling was mutual. Her great aunt had wonderful stories, strong opinions, and a razor sharp wit.

During Nicole’s senior year of high school, Millie came to visit Nicole’s family, as she did every year for Easter. She seemed to sense the tension in the Haught household, and Nicole’s loneliness, almost immediately. The night before she was planning to leave, Millie asked if Nicole wanted to come stay with her for the summer, to help her in the garden and around the house. Nicole was excited about the idea, and her parents had no objection, so a few days after her graduation, Nicole took the train to Ottawa.

She spent the mornings with Millie, watering and weeding her large flower garden, and if it was rainy, they’d go through boxes of old newspaper clippings and photographs. Nicole had afternoons to herself, and she usually spent them at a nearby gym. At first, Nicole would just shoot baskets or play pick up. But she noticed that for two hours every afternoon, half the basketball court was taken over by people using the climbing wall at one end of the gym. Nicole spent a week just watching the climbers in between basketball games, and then one day, an instructor asked if she’d like to give it a try.

Nicole was hooked immediately. Instead of playing basketball, she climbed every afternoon. Millie was kind enough to encourage her, helping Nicole buy her own equipment. She even came and watched Nicole a couple times.

“I think I would've liked to have tried that, back in my day,” Millie told her after the first time she came to watch. Nicole didn't doubt it. Based on the photographs from her travels, Millie was quite adventurous. She had hiked up to Machu Picchu, gone skiing in the Alps, and parasailed in Australia.

A few weeks after she started climbing, the instructor mentioned that he was taking a group to do some outdoor rock climbing in a couple weeks. It was a weekend trip, two nights, with two days of climbing. Mille was generous as ever, giving Nicole the money she needed to make the trip. She insisted only that Nicole take some good pictures for her.

It was a memorable trip for a couple reasons. Not only did Nicole climb her first real rocks, including part of a tricky inverted ascent, but she also slept with another girl for the first time.

By chance (or perhaps not, Nicole thought later), a girl named Becky sat next to Nicole in the van. They chatted the whole ride. Becky had just finished her freshman year at McGill and was back home for the summer, living with her parents. She had short blonde hair, blue eyes, and freckles. Nicole had a crush on her within the first ten minutes of the drive, but it wasn't until later that night, after they had set up camp, that she realized the feeling was mutual.

Their campsite was near a lake. At dusk, Nicole went down by the water to take pictures of the sunset for her aunt. Becky showed up, saying she was going to take a swim and inviting Nicole to join her. Nicole needed little convincing. They swam and splashed around until just after the last sliver of the sun dipped below the horizon.

When they finally got out of the water, they both shed their wet shirts and started ringing them out. Nicole tried to be subtle, but she couldn't help but stare at the droplets of water running down Becky’s bare skin, each reflecting a tiny bit of the moonlight. There was a charge in the air, and Nicole felt bold in a way she never had before. She stepped closer to Becky, reached out, and brushed a wet strand of blonde hair off her forehead. Becky bit her lip and shifted a her weight forward. It was all the encouragement Nicole needed, so she bent down and kissed her.

Almost immediately, it felt different, more serious, than any kiss she’d shared with Jenny. They’d only ever fooled around, which seemed to be all either one of them was comfortable with. But that was over a year ago, and Nicole was away from her parents and headed to college soon. She felt a little proud that she had read the situation correctly, that Becky seemed to want what she did. They kissed for awhile before Nicole suggested they head back before anyone went looking for them.

But the match was lit. They made out in the woods the next morning before the group left to climb, and then that night, under the cover of darkness, they had sex down in secluded area by the water. As Nicole suspected, this was not a new thing for Becky, and for that Nicole was grateful. As first times went, she felt pretty lucky this had been hers.

Back in Ottawa, she saw Becky a few more times before the blonde had to leave for vacation with her family and then head back to Montreal. The last time they saw each other, Nicole asked Becky if she could call her sometime.

“You’ll meet lots of pretty girls in the Big City. You don’t need to be talking to one back in Montreal,” Becky replied, nonchalant.

In the moment, Nicole was a bit stunned by Becky’s bluntness, and maybe even a little heartbroken. But a few months later, after she had spent some time at university, Nicole understood. She never ended up calling Becky, never even felt the urge to. When Nicole came across Becky’s number in her phone years later, she didn’t hesitate to delete it.

Nicole left Becky out of the story she told Waverly. Maybe she would tell her an abridged version, one day. But Nicole couldn’t talk about her summer at Millie’s without thinking of Becky, about their brief time together, and the self confidence she gained.

She _did_ tell Waverly that while she was in school, Millie and Nicole kept in touch, mostly through letters. Often, Millie would simply write about one of her trips and include a photo she had found from it. Nicole would write back every time, perhaps not as eloquently, and keep her aunt updated on how school was going. But the spring of Nicole’s junior year, Millie died in her sleep. It was just a few weeks after her parents visited her in the Big City, and Nicole couldn’t bear to see them, so she skipped the funeral. Instead, she spent most of the day lying in bed, re-reading the dozens of letters Millie had sent her over the years.

A couple months later, Nicole was shocked to learn that Millie had left her a not-insignificant sum of money. The lawyer had also sent along a letter, the final one Nicole would ever receive from Millie. Nicole would never forget how it ended.

_If you don’t use some of this money to travel the world, I’ll haunt you to your dying day_.

It had made Nicole laugh out loud the first time she read it. Knowing her great aunt was a woman of her word, and that she would make a terrifying ghost, Nicole took a year off after she graduated from college and did as she was told.

“Millie sounds amazing,” Waverly said after Nicole finished telling her about her great aunt’s gift.

“She was,” Nicole replied.

“Do you still have those letters?”

“Of course.”

“Do you think I could read them sometime?”

“Sure. I think you’ll get a kick out of them.”

Waverly put a hand on Nicole’s shoulder. “By the way, how did the call with your sister go?”

Though they had exchanged a few text messages since Nicole’s trip to Toronto, Nicole hadn’t actually spoken to her sister since then. Haley swore up and down that their parents had told her they wanted to see Nicole only to make amends. Nicole believed her, but the wound was still a little raw, even after her conversation with Waverly. But Nicole didn’t want to shut Haley out forever so they had a long phone call earlier in the week.

“Really well. I think she’s coming to visit me this summer.”

“That’d be great. I’d love to meet her,” Waverly replied.

“Maybe I’ll have her try to pick you up at a bar,” Nicole said with a grin. Waverly rolled her eyes. “Speaking of, have you heard from Wynonna recently?”

“Not since the last email. She said she’d call me soon, but who knows,” Waverly said with a shrug.

“Sisters,” Nicole said with a little laugh, and Waverly smiled back.

A little while later, they arrived in Cannon. They grabbed some sandwiches for lunch, changed clothes, and then drove to the trailhead.

It was a beautiful sunny afternoon in May. The hike was not a terribly difficult one, though there were some tricky areas where they had to maneuver up and around boulders. They would occasionally encounter other hikers, who were usually going back down the trail, but for the most part, they were alone in the woods.

Finally, almost two hours in, they arrived at the waterfall. Powered by snowmelt, the river was flowing much faster than it had been in the fall, leading to a larger and louder rush of water over the rocks. They sat on a rock by the water’s edge, side by the side, admiring the view for a moment. Nicole took Waverly’s hand and held it tight. After a few minutes of silence, Waverly suggested they take a picture. They twirled around, cuddled close, and took a picture that was similar to the one Nicole sent Waverly many months ago.

When Nicole took that picture, she did not know she would end up sending it to Waverly on the ride home. She had vowed to keep her distance, to give them both space, and she had been true to that, for the most part. But she couldn't resist letting Waverly know she was thinking of her. And at that point, she was pretty much thinking about Waverly all the time.

Not much had changed on that score, though the confusion and angst she used to associate with Waverly had been replaced with a warmth and certainty that Nicole hadn’t felt in a long time, maybe ever. She thought of the letter that was in her backpack, that she’d spent the better part of the past week writing and rewriting. Nicole knew that before she gave it to Waverly, she had something she needed to do. So when Waverly looked up and showed Nicole the new photo, now saved as her lockscreen, Nicole just said it.

“I love you.”

When Waverly looked back at her, with a slight smile and softened eyes, Nicole regretted waiting this long to say it. Waverly reached up and held Nicole’s face, not unlike the way she had on Christmas Eve morning.

“And I love you,” Waverly replied. Then she kissed Nicole, softly, but with so much meaning.

xxxxx

They had planned to eat at the Lin’s Chinese Restaurant that night, but neither of them appeared to want to spend that much time away from their room. As they lay together on the four-poster bed in their room in a tangled, sweaty mess, Waverly asked, “When did you know?"

“Know what?”

“That you loved me.”

Nicole let out a little laugh and then said, “What a dangerous question.”

“Why do you say that?”

“I just don't want to turn it into a competition.”

Waverly sat up on her elbow. “That’s not why I’m asking.”

“Well then you go first.”

Waverly pouted for a moment, but finally relented. “Fine. Christmas.”

Nicole raised her eyebrows. “Not graduation? Ouch.” She mimed being stabbed in the heart.

“That’s when I fell in _lust_ with you,” Waverly said, running her free hand across Nicole’s stomach, caressing the underside of her breasts with her thumb suggestively. Nicole felt a familiar stir deep within, and she shifted so she was lying on her side, facing Waverly.

“So is graduation your answer?” Waverly asked, pulling Nicole’s hips a little closer.

Nicole nodded. “It was seeing you in that green dress,” Nicole said softly as she planted a kiss on Waverly’s collarbone. “Or maybe it was seeing you out of it,” she added just before she kissed Waverly’s lips. Nicole felt Waverly smile as she rolled her onto her back.

Waverly let out a soft moan as Nicole pressed her thigh between Waverly’s legs. She pulled back for a moment, looked up at Nicole, and asked, “So you win?”

Nicole smiled back at her. “I don’t think there are any losers in this scenario,” Nicole said before recapturing Wavery’s lips.

“Agreed,” Waverly muttered between kisses.

xxxxx

A little while later, Nicole stretched back against her pillow. “We _have_ to eat something soon,” she said. Her stomach agreed, rumbling as if on cue.

Waverly was still slightly out of breath. Her hand was resting on Nicole bare stomach, and if she hadn’t heard the rumble, she certainly felt it. “Let’s just order in some pizza,” she suggested.

“Great idea,” Nicole said, and she grabbed her phone off the nightstand. After some quick Googling, she made the call.

“No mushrooms on my half,” Waverly said as she slipped into the bathroom, as if Nicole wasn't well aware of how Waverly liked her pizza by now. After Nicole finished ordering, Waverly popped her head out of the bathroom.

“How long?”

“Forty-five minutes,” Nicole replied. The bathroom door clicked shut. Nicole pulled the covers up under her chin and closed her eyes for a moment. She was drifting off when she felt the mattress sag next to her. She opened her eyes and saw Waverly, sitting on the edge of the bed, looking down at her purposefully.

“My love,” Waverly said as she played with a lock of Nicole’s hair. Those words were music to Nicole’s ears. “You can sleep later.”

Those too.

xxxxx

The next morning, after breakfast, they split up for a few hours. Waverly headed to the _Cannon Gazette_ to do her research, and Nicole walked around town and scouted for something they could do that afternoon.

They ended up doing a zip line tour. Waverly thought it was a bit of an extravagant purchase, but Nicole persuaded her. Millie would have insisted they live a little, she told Waverly. Even after traveling for a year and using part of her inheritance to pay off her university loans, Nicole still had decent amount left over. In fact, she hadn’t really touched it since she started at the academy. And in the end, it was worth every penny to watch Waverly scream her head off as she slid on the zip lines that traversed the canyon and threaded through the trees.

After cleaning up from their adventure, they finally went to Lin’s. They ordered a bit more than they needed to, but they both wanted to try as many different things as possible.

“I need to change my answer. I think this place is where I fell in love with you,”  
Nicole said as she slurped down some lo mein.

Waverly gave her a look. “We weren’t together when you came here with Jimmy. We were barely speaking!”

“I know, that’s how good these noodles are,” Nicole said with a wink.

xxxxx

After she put on her running clothes the next morning, Nicole looked over at Waverly, who was still in bed, fast asleep. She looked so small amidst the overstuffed pillows and large down comforter that adorned the king-sized bed.

The night before, they fell asleep early, the emotions and activities (both indoor and outdoor) of the previous 36 hours seeming to catch up with them both. They had been lying in bed, quietly joking about something that happened during the zip line tour, when Nicole’s head jerked up off the pillow.

“Sorry,” she said, blinking herself back awake.

“Baby, it’s fine,” Waverly said. “Just go to sleep. You need to rest. I know you’re working the late shift tomorrow.”

“So are you.”

“Manning the bar at Shorty’s requires a smidge less sharpness than being a police officer,” Waverly said with a laugh.

“I don’t know, seems like you need to be on your toes around those taps,” Nicole replied, thinking of the morning Waverly was sprayed with beer as she polished the tap handles. Waverly smiled and dropped her head. Nicole reached over and tucked a strand of Waverly’s brunette hair behind her ear. “I just feel a little lame going to bed so early. It’s not exactly the point of this trip to be in bed by 9,” Nicole said.

“I think the point of this trip is whatever we want it to be, and I have decided that you need to get some sleep,” Waverly said, then she placed a light kiss on Nicole’s lips before laying her head down on her own pillow. They just looked at each other for a moment. Nicole was almost overwhelmed by how much she loved Waverly, and she knew she was the only person she wanted to fall asleep next to for the rest of her life.

Waverly placed a hand on Nicole’s face, brushing her thumb lightly over her cheek. “I love you,” she whispered. “Now sleep.”

Nicole muttered “I love you too” and closed her eyes, hoping to dream of Waverly.

And she had. It was not the first time, but this was a new dream. Waverly was in white, Nicole in blue. They were running through a field. Nicole felt cold, then hot, then she was falling, slowly, into an endless pit, but Waverly caught her just before she awoke.

When Nicole had opened her eyes that morning, Waverly was there, lying next to her, her angelic face framed by her beautiful brown hair. Her breathing was steady and light, her eyes fluttering underneath closed lids. Nicole hoped if Waverly was dreaming, she was dreaming of her.

After a few minutes, Nicole slid out of bed as quietly as she could. She used the bathroom, changed into her running clothes, and then retrieved the envelope from her backpack. Nicole had planned to put it in Waverly’s bag before they left Cannon, to be discovered only when Waverly got home to Purgatory. But Nicole didn’t want to wait any longer, so she tiptoed across the room and placed the envelope under Waverly’s phone on the nightstand. Then she quietly scooted out the door before she had second thoughts.

When she got back to their room 45 minutes later, Waverly was in the shower. Nicole didn’t see the envelope anywhere. She sat at the small table in their room, sipping one of the mugs of coffees she’d brought up from downstairs, and waited. Waverly emerged from the bathroom ten minutes later in a robe and her hair wrapped up in a towel.

“Oh thank goodness. I need some caffeine,” Waverly said as she walked over to the table and sat down across from Nicole. Neither her tone nor her expression betrayed her reaction to the letter. “How was your run?” She asked.

“Beautiful. Just like you,” Nicole said. She knew it was a cheesy thing to say, but that didn’t make it any less true.

Waverly rolled her eyes affectionately. “Go and get cleaned up. I don’t want to miss breakfast.”

After eating breakfast, they went up to their room to pack. When they walked back down the stairs with their bags, Nicole spotted a corner of the letter peeking out of the back pocket of Waverly’s jeans, so at least she was certain that Waverly had read it.

They gassed up the Jeep and grabbed some caffeinated drinks on their way out of town. Nicole drove since Waverly would have to drive back to Purgatory alone later in the day. They chatted about nothing much for a bit, and then finally Waverly fished the letter out of her back pocket and held it up.

“I need to know more about this,” she said with raised eyebrows.

“Long version or short?” Nicole asked in a hopeful tone.

“Long version. Always.” Waverly said with a smile on her lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These two nerds! What's in the letter? You can probably guess.
> 
> Lengthy aside on Nicole: because we know so little about her background from the show relative to the Earps, it opens up endless possibilities, but it is also challenging if you're writing something canon-adjacent. Maybe it is easier for other writers, but I find that threading the "doesn't talk to her parents" and "quickie marriage in Vegas" and "moved to Purgatory" and "hitting on Waverly in Shorty's" needle is tough, considering Nicole's personality. But I thought a lot about it when writing this fic, and I'm more fascinated by her background than ever. Hope we get some more details in season 3!
> 
> Thanks again for all the lovely comments on the last chapter. I'm glad people responded so positively to the more mature way they handled it, and to the Curtis stuff in Purgatory.
> 
> Update transparency: I have to leave for a long work trip earlier than expected, so there might be only one new chapter next week. Either way, the next chapter will post no later than Monday.


	17. Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you're wondering about the letter, it's your lucky day -- sort of.

Nicole told Waverly as many details regarding the job offer as she could remember -- her chance encounter with Sheriff Nedley in the grocery store in Purgatory on that first climbing trip, her subsequent visit when he first floated the deputy job, and her discussions with Nedley since then, including the upcoming deadline by which Nicole needed to make a decision. When she was finished, there was silence in the Jeep other than the sound of Waverly drumming her fingers on the center console. A knot was starting to form in Nicole’s stomach.

But finally, the drumming stopped, and Waverly spoke. “So that job interview you had back in the fall, that was In Purgatory?”

“Yeah.” Nicole glanced over nervously, the knot growing larger and tighter by the second. Waverly was biting her lip, her gaze fixed forward. “Are you mad that I didn’t tell you about all this sooner?” asked Nicole.

Waverly tilted her head toward Nicole, but her eyes remained on the road in front of them. Nicole held her breath until Waverly said, “No, actually.” 

Nicole exhaled, the knot loosening a little. But she still felt the need to explain herself. “When Nedley first talked to me about the job, I just didn’t know what to think. I was still at the academy, I’d only spent a little time in Purgatory, and you were the only person I really knew in the town. Then after we got together, it felt a little like a complication we didn’t need yet, and July felt so far off, you know? But I have to make a decision soon, and we’ve been together for a bit . . .”

“Six months, today,” Waverly said quietly, cutting off Nicole’s rambling.

“Has it been that long?” said Nicole innocently. Waverly finally looked over, her eyebrows raised in surprise. Nicole gave her a quick wink to let her know that she was well aware, which made Waverly smirk. The knot loosened even more.

Waverly unfolded the letter, smoothing it over her knees, then she held it up, reading. It had taken Nicole a couple drafts to get the letter right. She didn’t just want to tell Waverly about the job. She wanted Waverly to know just how in love with her she was, how much their relationship meant to her, that she was willing to move to Purgatory to be with her. But Nicole was well aware how big of a decision this was for both of them, and so early in their relationship, so she wrote about that too. In the end, Nicole told Waverly she wanted them to make the decision together because even though she felt ready to take this leap, she wanted to be sure, and she wanted Waverly to be too.

It was a lot to say, and so very important, which is why Nicole put it all in a letter. She had no confidence she could say out loud everything she needed to with any coherence.

When Waverly finished reading, she folded up the letter and put it back in her pocket.

“So?” Nicole ventured.

“So it’s a lot to think about,” Waverly said flatly.

“Yeah,” was all Nicole could muster in reply. The knot tightened just a tad as the Jeep was silent once more.

Waverly finally filled it. “I’m going to need some time -- time to think about it.”

“Of course. Take whatever time you need.” Nicole replied. “Okay, well, I do need to tell Nedley by July 1, so before then would be nice.” Nicole desperately wanted to reach across and touch Waverly, but an uncertainty still hung in the air. So instead, she casually rested her right elbow on the center console and left her hand hanging free over the edge. 

Without hesitation, Waverly put her hand over Nicole’s, slowly lacing their fingers together. The knot in Nicole’s stomach disappeared, replaced by a fluttering in her heart. She wasn’t sure what she expected Waverly’s reaction to be -- anything from rage to glee seemed possible. Reality fell somewhere in the middle, and Nicole was just fine with that.

“So Jimmy and Edie’s wedding -- are you excited?” Waverly asked, officially changing the subject.

“Very.” 

“Isn’t he having a bachelor party in Vegas? Are you going?”

“He is. It’s next weekend. I have to work.” Nicole wasn’t in a position to take another weekend off so soon. She had already used up most of the favors she was owed to make this weekend trip happen on short notice. “It's for the best, really. I probably would’ve just lost all my money at the slots and then come back accidentally married to Buck,” Nicole joked. 

Waverly grinned. “That’s a scary thought. What about Edie? Is she doing anything?”

“She had a bachelorette party in Vancouver. It was this weekend, actually.”

Waverly squeezed Nicole’s hand forcefully. “Nicole! Why didn’t you go?”

“Flights were expensive, and well, Shae was going to be there.” Nicole’s eyes darted over, and she saw Waverly purse her lips. Keeping a close eye on the road, Nicole lifted their enjoined hands and lightly pressed her lips to Waverly’s knuckles. “But really, I just wanted to spend this weekend with you.”

Waverly’s pursed lips transformed into a small smile. “I’m glad you suggested we take this trip. It was perfect,” she said. 

“I didn’t ruin it with the, well, you know?” Nicole asked, thinking about the letter.

“By falling asleep on me last night?” Waverly teased.

“You told me to!” 

They both laughed, and it was music to Nicole’s ears. She thought if they could still be like this together, carefree and light, after the the bombed that Nicole dropped this morning, then they would be okay no matter what.

“You know what I mean,” Nicole said, giving Waverly’s hand a squeeze.

Waverly freed her hand, sliding it across Nicole’s shoulder and to the back of her neck. She curled a lock of Nicole’s hair around her index finger, and Nicole had the sudden urge to pull the Jeep over and kiss Waverly senseless. But they were on a schedule, so Nicole put her right hand back on the wheel, gripping it tight.

“I do, and it was still perfect,” Waverly said softly. Nicole smiled the whole way home.

xxxxx

A couple weeks later, after Waverly was done with finals, Nicole, Jimmy and Bea all coordinated a day off for a midweek trip to Purgatory. The weather had warmed up nicely, and the conditions would be perfect for Waverly’s first outdoor rock climbing experience. They picked Waverly up outside Shorty’s and headed straight back out of town toward the mountains. They would start with a relatively easy two-pitch route with anchors already in place in the morning. If that went okay, they’d try a longer, more difficult route in the afternoon.

Jimmy climbed first, with Bea as his second. After Jimmy reached the top of the first pitch, Bea followed. Nicole told Waverly to pay attention to what holds Bea used because they were a similar height. As Waverly watched, she bounced on her toes nervously. Nicole put an arm around her shoulders and said quietly, “You don't have to do this, if you aren't quite ready.”

Waverly didn't take her eyes off Bea. “I'm ready. There are things in life that scare me, Nicole, but this isn't on the list.” She paused. “You used to be.”

It was a strangely sweet thing to hear, and it made Nicole’s heart beat a little faster. “I’m glad I don't scare you anymore.” Waverly looked back at her and smiled. 

A minute later, Bea reached the top of the climb, and it was Waverly’s turn. Nicole double checked Waverly’s harness and helmet, and then Waverly was off. As she watched, Nicole remembered how different it felt, her first climb up a real rock. Although this climb was actually technically easier than climbs Waverly had done at the gym, lead climbing outdoors was tougher mentally. But Waverly took her time and did well, making it up the first pitch without any slips or falls. Nicole followed her up, and then they prepared for the next part of the climb.

The second pitch was much longer and more difficult. Waverly was making good progress -- she was about halfway up -- when one of her feet slipped, and she fell. Nicole was relieved that Waverly was able to absorb most of the impact of the fall itself with her feet, though she did bump her shoulder on the way down. Waverly had fallen far enough that the force on the rope had pulled Nicole up off the ground. When Nicole regained her footing, she called up to Waverly.

“I’m okay,” Waverly shouted back as she dangled from the rope.

“You sure? Your shoulder?” Nicole asked.

“It’s fine. I’m fine. I can do this.”

“I know you can, baby. Just take your time. Don’t start again until you’re ready,” Nicole replied. 

Waverly got her hands and feet back on the rock, took a couple deep breaths and restarted her ascent. Nicole had to remind herself to breathe as she watched. But Waverly took it slow and made it to the top without any more any more trouble. The look on Waverly’s face as Nicole reached the top told Nicole all she needed to know about whether her girlfriend was enjoying herself.

They sat on the edge of the cliff, resting and refueling, while Jimmy and Bea tried a third, much more difficult pitch. From their perch, they looked out over the valley below, lush and green and beautiful. 

“How’s your shoulder?” Nicole asked. 

“It’s a little sore, but it’ll be fine,” Waverly replied, leaning her head against Nicole with a sigh. “I cannot wait to do this again.”

Nicole couldn’t help but think how much more often they could do this if she moved to Purgatory. She almost said as much to Waverly, but she was trying to stay in the moment, rather than constantly focus on their future. But the closer deadline got, the harder that became. If Waverly didn’t bring it up soon, Nicole knew she was going to have to.

After lunch, they drove to a different climb, which they all completed without incident, and then they drove back to Purgatory, tired but exhilarated. They stopped by Shorty’s for a beer, but then Jimmy and Bea took off because they both had to work the next day. Nicole had the day off, so she was staying the night and would take the early bus back to the city the next morning.

While Waverly showered upstairs, Nicole ordered another beer. Gus was bartending, but it was happy hour so she was too busy for much chit chat. Nicole spun around on her stool, leaning back against the bar as she sipped her beer and took in the various Purgatorians (Purgatonians?) that she might soon be serving. 

The barstools were filled with the usual motley crew -- mostly older men though there was a middle-aged woman sitting at the opposite end of the bar that Nicole thought she recognized from the police station. There was a group of white-haired ladies in a booth over by the door, nibbling on a basket of fries and sipping on white-wine spritzers; a young couple with a toddler was eating an early dinner at one of the tables; a large group of young men in dusty jeans and cowboy boots were enjoying a few pitchers; and some rather rough looking characters with tattoos and leather jackets were playing pool.

After she finished her beer, Nicole started toward the stairs that led to Waverly’s apartment, when she noticed a commotion back by the pool table. She instinctively went over to see what was going on. 

A burly man with a bald head and long beard had a scrawnier guy pinned up against the wall. The bald man said something Nicole couldn’t hear, then the scrawny man’s eyes glowed red, and he threw the bald man up onto the pool table. His eyes still glowing, the scrawny man climbed atop the other man and pinned him down. It didn’t seem possible, given the size difference between them and the laws of physics. As he struggled to free himself, the same red glow flared in the bald man’s eyes. Nicole hovered, unsure what, if anything, she should do.

“Gentleman,” came a voice from behind her. It was Sheriff Nedley. “This seems like a bad way to spend a Wednesday evening, fighting over pool. Might I suggest bingo night over at the presbyterian church. I heard they are serving key lime pie.” His tone was calm and authoritative, though Nicole saw that the sheriff’s hand rested on his holster as he spoke.

The scrawny man scoffed, but he climbed down from the pool table and exited out the back of the bar without a word. The other man scrambled down after him, muttered something under his breath, then walked past the sheriff and out the front door.

Nicole felt paralyzed, her mind still processing what she had just seen. She heard snippets of Nedley saying something into his radio about keeping an eye out for Tom Purdy and Lazy Joe, who had both just left Shorty’s. Then he walked over to where Nicole was standing.

“Officer Haught, it’s nice to see you back in Purgatory,” he said, extending his hand.

Nicole shook it, though she was still in a bit of a daze. “Sir, did you see that?”

“See what?”

“Their, their, their eyes,” she stammered, indicating toward the pool table with her hand. “They were glowing. And the way that little guy threw the big one up on the table. But I don’t see how it’s possible . . .”

Nedley furrowed his brow. “Drugs are a terrible blight on this town,” he said. “And we seem to be having more problems with them every day. I’ve been keeping an eye on those two.” Nicole had never seen anyone high on drugs be able to do anything close to what she had just seen, not to mention the glowing eyes. 

“Are you staying in town?” Nedley asked abruptly.

Just then, Waverly came down the stairs. She was in a fresh outfit, her hair still damp. Nicole looked over, and Nedley followed her gaze. Waverly gave them a little wave and walked over to the bar to talk to Gus.

“I am — with, well, you know,” she said, indicating vaguely with her hand. Nicole dug a fingernail into her palm to regain her composure. After a moment,  she was finally able to meet the sheriff’s gaze. “I’m staying overnight then taking the early bus back to the city tomorrow,” she told him in a more definitive tone.

“I’m off duty tomorrow, and I’d be happy to drive you.”

“Sir, that’s really not necessary. The bus in fine.”

“Nonsense. Chrissy has been bugging me to take her the city so she can do some shopping. Tomorrow seems like as good a day as any. Besides, it would give us a chance to talk a bit more about the job, if you wanted to.”

Getting a ride did seem more appealing than the bus, and she did have a few questions, so Nicole agreed. They arranged to meet outside Shorty’s at nine, with Nicole bringing coffees for the road. Waverly finally left the bar and came over just as they were finalizing the details. She and the sheriff exchanged pleasantries, and then Nedley excused himself.

“Shower’s open, if you want it,” Waverly said. Nicole nodded, and they headed over to the stairs. As they climbed, Waverly asked, “What were you and the sheriff talking about?” She sounded a little apprehensive.

Nicole waited until they were in the apartment to answer. She sat on one of the chairs at the table. As she took off her shoes, she described the brief confrontation between the men with the glowing eyes, Nedley’s intervention, and his conclusion that the men were on drugs. 

“He’s probably right,” Waverly said dismissively. “Now get cleaned up. Curtis wants to meet us for dinner in half an hour.”

Nicole expected skepticism and a million follow up questions from Waverly, but she seemed to just shrug it off. But as she stood under a cascade of warm water a few minutes later, Nicole couldn’t get the men’s faces, with their glowing red eyes, out of her mind. 

xxxxx

While Nicole was in the shower, Waverly got out the notebook she kept stashed in the bottom of the drawer of her nightstand and skimmed the names she had been collecting. She regretted not asking any follow-up questions that would help her figure out who the two men were and whether they were already on her list. She heard the water turn off in the bathroom, and she quickly put the notebook away and picked up a book instead.

At dinner with Curtis, Nicole was as polite as ever, but she seemed distracted, even while Waverly told Curtis all about their big day of climbing. Later, back at her apartment, Waverly successfully distracted Nicole in a different way, but afterwards, as they laid in the darkness, Nicole was quiet once again. And unusually for her, Nicole slept fitfully, which kept Waverly from a good night’s sleep as well. They both woke up the next morning groggy and sore.

Waverly went with Nicole to get coffees, then they waited in front of Shorty’s until Sheriff Nedley and Chrissy arrived to pick up Nicole. The caffeine seemed to help them both, and they were chatting amiably about dress shopping for Jimmy and Edie’s wedding when Waverly spotted Nedley’s cruiser coming down the street.

“There they are,” she said. Nicole bent down to get her duffle. When she straightened back up, Waverly hooked a finger into one of the belt loops on Nicole’s jeans and pulled her closer. “Now Chrissy told me she’d behave, unlike last time,” Waverly added with a grin, which Nicole matched.

Waverly thought back to the night, a couple weeks ago, when Chrissy came to the city with her, and the three of them had dinner. Chrissy pestered Nicole with questions all night, which Waverly would have found annoying except it seemed to come from a place of genuine interest in Nicole rather than an attempt to gather gossip. 

“I  _ like  _ her,” Chrissy said as they drove back to Purgatory after dinner. “You two seem good together.” 

Waverly still felt guilty for assuming Chrissy would have a problem with Waverly having a girlfriend, and she regretted not telling her about Nicole sooner. It would have been nice to have a sounding board when she was trying to work through her feelings last fall. But what was done was done, and thankfully, Chrissy did not seem to hold a grudge about it.

“So have you talked to her about the job thing yet?” Chrissy asked her as they pulled up to her apartment building. Waverly put the Jeep in park and looked over with narrowed eyes. “I promise I won’t tell my Dad anything,” Chrissy said. 

Though she thought about it constantly, Waverly hadn’t brought it up since the ride back from Cannon, and Nicole hadn’t either.

Waverly’s silence seemed to answer the question for Chrissy. “Waverly!” she hissed.

“It’s complicated,” Waverly said defensively.

“Doesn’t seem that complicated to me. Your girlfriend -- who you love -- wants to move to Purgatory to be with you. Isn’t that every lesbian’s dream scenario to have their girlfriend show up with Uhaul?”

Waverly rolled her eyes but smiled. Ever since she’d told Chrissy about NIcole, Chrissy had been watching all sorts of lesbian TV shows and movies and telling Waverly about them. It was both annoying and endearing.

Chrissy’s joke made Waverly wonder whether, if Nicole moved to Purgatory, they would move in together. Nicole hadn’t mentioned it in her letter, though it seemed to be implied. But Waverly pushed that thought out of her mind for the moment. She didn’t want to get ahead of herself. First, she needed to talk to Nicole about Purgatory and her family.

When Sheriff Nedley pulled up in front of Shorty’s, Nicole stiffened and put a little distance between them. Waverly reminded herself that to Nicole, Nedley was potentially her new boss, not just Chrissy’s dad or one of the regulars at happy hour at Shorty’s. As the sheriff took Nicole’s bag and put it in the trunk, Waverly passed Chrissy her coffee through the back window, and Nicole opened up the passenger side door and put two more coffees in the center console. Waverly thought she might leave without saying a proper goodbye, but Nicole got back out of the car. After a quick glance behind her, Nicole gave Waverly a chaste peck on the cheek and muttered “I love you” into her ear. 

“You too,” Waverly said, giving Nicole’s hip a quick squeeze before she slid back into the car. Waverly could still see the cruiser when she got out her phone and texted Nicole a single heart

That night, after closing at Shorty’s, Waverly went over to her aunt and uncle’s house. Gus went straight to bed, but Waverly convinced Curtis to stay up and have a drink. As if he knew why she was there, Curtis got out the bottle of gin that Nicole had given him and poured two glasses. They talked about Nicole’s job offer and Waverly’s her concerns about Nicole moving to Purgatory for almost an hour.

“Would you move to the city for Nicole?” Curtis asked at one point.

“I would,” she said without hesitation. Waverly had thought about this already, after she learned that Jimmy would be moving to Vancouver at the end of the summer. Even though she knew it wouldn’t happen, she pictured herself moving to the city and into Nicole’s apartment. She loved the idea of living in the city. She loved its vibrancy, the people, the restaurants, all the things to do. But most of all, she loved Nicole. And that’s all that mattered, right?

Wrong, and Waverly knew it. She and Curtis chatted a bit longer, and then he said he needed to get to bed. He glanced at the progress they had made on the bottle of gin and suggested Waverly sleep in her old room, and Waverly agreed. Later, Waverly sat in bed, staring at her phone. She sent a quick email, and then turned in for the night.

xxxxx

“Hello?” said Waverly groggily, a few days later. She glanced at the clock -- it was just after 3 AM.

“Hey baby girl.” The sound of Wynonna’s voice woke Waverly up quickly. “So what do you need to talk about? Haught stuff didn’t get you pregnant, did she?”

Waverly rolled her eyes. Nicole had recently told her about Wynonna’s little “talk” back in December. “Wynonna,” she said seriously.

“So then what’s up?”

Waverly had been emailing Wynonna at least once a week with updates on Purgatory, school, Gus and Curtis, and, of course, Nicole. Wynonna usually did not respond, but it still made Waverly feel better to write and send them. Her most recent email was short on details but included an urgent request for her sister to call her so they could talk. Now that Wynonna was on the phone, she filled her in on Nicole’s job offer.

“So this whole you-being-with-a-cop thing is gonna stick, huh?” Wynonna asked.

“Well I’d like it to. I’m worried that if I tell Nicole not to move here, we’re done.”

“Has she said that?”

“No.”

“So you don’t want her to move to Purgatory?”

“Of course I do!” Waverly exclaimed, then she added in a quieter tone. “But you know it’s not that simple.”

“So you haven’t told her about any of it?” 

“No.”  Waverly paused. “I wanted to make sure it’s okay if I do.”

“You don’t need my permission. You’re an Earp too.”

“But not the heir. And not the one that, well, with Daddy and all that,” Waverly said nervously.

The line was silent for a moment. “Baby girl, if you love Nicole, and she wants move to Purgatory to be with you, you should probably tell her.”

“I know.” Waverly bit her lip for a moment, then asked, “You’re still coming home in September, right?”

“I’m not sure anymore.”

“Wynonna, you  _ have _ to.”

“I don’t  _ have  _ to do anything, Waverly.”

Waverly regretted bringing it up. The phone calls from her sister were already few and far between. Pestering Wynonna was unlikely to make the calls more frequent, or to increase the odds that Wynonna would, if fact, come home. So Waverly quickly changed the subject, updating Wynonna on Gus and Curtis until she heard a commotion coming from Wynonna’s end of the call. Her sister yelled at someone then told Waverly she needed to get going.

“Okay,” Waverly said, resigned. “I love you.”

“Tell your girl,” was all Wynonna said in reply, just before the line went dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this update came later in the day than anticipated. We had some bad weather in my neck of the woods.
> 
> I do not know whether I'll be able to post again later this week, but if not, I promise to post the next chapter early next week. My work travel is already complicated, and the weather isn't helping. But to whet your appetite, I will share that the title of the next chapter is "Vows."
> 
> Also, filming started today on Season 3. Yippee!


	18. Vows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's wedding time!

It was June, and Jimmy and Edie’s wedding was finally here. Gus needed Waverly to work at Shorty’s on Friday night, so Nicole went to the rehearsal dinner solo and then went out with the wedding party afterwards. It was a bad idea. She and Jimmy were having a very slow start to their Saturday morning.

A shower didn’t cure Nicole’s hangover, so it was time for caffeine. She padded through the living room -- Jimmy was still asleep on the couch -- to the kitchen, where she started a pot of coffee. As she waited, she heard Jimmy get up and head to the bathroom. By the time the coffee was ready, Jimmy was back on the couch. Nicole handed him a mug, grabbed the bottle of aspirin off the coffee table, and sat in the armchair. As Nicole washed down a couple pills with coffee, the apartment door opened and Waverly walked in. She was carrying her usual duffle bag and had a garment bag slung over her shoulder.

“Who’s ready for today?” Waverly said excitedly as she walked into the living room. Nicole groaned and curled up further into the chair.

“It’s way too early to be so chipper,” Jimmy said from from the couch. He pulled a blanket over his head.

“It’s almost ten!”

“Diner?” Jimmy said from beneath the blanket.

“Yes,” Nicole said desperately.

Twenty minutes later, they were sitting at the counter at the diner down the street. Jimmy and Nicole were devouring bacon, eggs, and greasy breakfast potatoes. Waverly sipped her coffee and just looked on, amused. “So what’s the schedule today?” She asked after they were nearly done eating.

Jimmy’s mouth was full so Nicole answered. “We have to be at the church at 3 for some pictures. The ceremony is at 4. We’ll do some more pictures after, and then the reception starts at 6?” Jimmy nodded along as he shoveled more eggs into his mouth.

Waverly checked the time. “Easy enough. You two might even have time for a nap.”

Back at the apartment, Nicole took the opportunity to lay down for awhile. Waverly sat next to her in bed, reading.  Nicole awoke a little while later to Waverly’s fingers drumming on her shoulder. She rolled over and buried her head in Waverly’s side, throwing an arm across her lap.

“Are you ready?” Waverly asked.

“Been practicing all week,” Nicole murmured. She was doing a reading during the ceremony. It had been awhile since she’d spoken to such a large group, and it was going to be an emotional day, so she was nervous.

Waverly must have sensed it. “You know what they say, just picture everyone naked.”

With some food in her stomach, a little extra shut-eye, and Waverly in her bed, Nicole was feeling rejuvenated. She sat up, took the book from Waverly’s hands, carefully replaced the bookmark, and set the book on the bedside table behind her. She rested her chin on Waverly’s shoulder and whispered in her ear, “Can I just picture  _ you _ naked?”

“No need to picture it,” Waverly said quietly. She slid down the headboard with a devious smile on her face, tossing a couple pillows off the bed and out of the way. Nicole laid down beside her and started a row of kisses down Waverly’s neck. Waverly’s fingers went to her still-damp hair, and they shifted in unison until Nicole’s thigh was pressed between Waverly’s. Nicole switched her attentions to the other side of Waverly’s neck.

As the dull ache of her hangover had receded this morning, Nicole’s body recovered but so did her brain. Even with Waverly beneath her, arching her back invitingly, Nicole could not keep her (very drunk) talk with Jimmy last night out of her mind. He had asked her about the Purgatory job, and Nicole finally admitted just how much it was bothering her that Waverly seemed to be avoiding the subject.

“Then  _ you _ bring it up. Talk to her,” Jimmy had counseled her. He was beyond drunk too, but Nicole knew he was right.

_ Talk to her. _

As those three simple words echoed in her mind, Nicole propped herself up with one arm and looked down at Waverly. Her wavy locks were messily fanned out across the lavender bed sheet, her hazel eyes at once warm and hungry. Waverly had one hand on Nicole’s hip, keeping her close. She reached up with the other and ran a finger along Nicole’s jaw and across her lips, then under her chin, beckoning her back down.

Nicole’s heart raced from the touch. She closed her eyes, gathering herself. She could feel Waverly’s hand move to the front of her shirt, clutching at the fabric impatiently.

_ Talk to her. _

“Nicole,” Waverly cooed. 

Nicole eyes snapped open at the sound of her name. Waverly ran her hand to the back of Nicole’s neck, and the pull of desire overruled the voice in Nicole’s head. She bent her elbow and leaned down until their foreheads were pressed together. Waverly tilted her chin up, trying to reach Nicole’s lips with her own.

_ Talk to her. _

Nicole retreated again. Their eyes locked. Waverly’s brow furrowed, and she bit her lip.

_ Talk to her. _

Nicole decided that if she was still afraid to talk Waverly, she could reaffirm her own intentions, open her heart up just a little more. Perhaps heartbreak was around the corner, but she was ready to leave it all on the line. She took a deep breath, and began.

“Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back,” Nicole said just before pressing a kiss into Waverly’s forehead. She could feel Waverly’s brow relax beneath her lips. Nicole pulled back, and she saw Waverly’s eyes flutter open. “Wherever you go, I will go,” Nicole added before capturing Waverly’s lips. Nicole kept the kiss deliberately slow, dipping her tongue into Waverly’s welcoming mouth only every so often and not with any urgency. 

But Waverly eventually found some. She started tugging at the hem of Nicole’s t-shirt, so Nicole sat up on her knees and took it off and shed her bra while she was at it. Waverly ran her hands slowly up Nicole’s bare torso, over her breasts, and along her shoulders, setting her skin aflame. Then she pulled Nicole back down into another kiss. Nicole kept her hands busy, unbuttoning Waverly’s shirt. 

Nicole broke the kiss to continue. “Wherever you live, I will live,” she said breathily and then planted a kiss on Waverly’s now-exposed breastbone. She peppered the top of Waverly’s breasts with light kisses, undoing the button and zipper on Waverly’s shorts as she did so. 

Nicole looked back up for a moment, her eyes locking with Waverly’s before she continued: “Your people will be my people.” She lowered her eyes again and starting a trail of kisses down Waverly’s body. 

“And your God will be my God,” Nicole whispered just before she planted a kiss right below Waverly’s belly button. Waverly whimpered and arched her back, allowing Nicole to slide her shorts and underwear down. Once they were off completely and out of the way, Nicole repositioned herself, her hands on Waverly’s bare hips. Waverly looked on expectantly. As Nicole licked her lips, Waverly opened her legs just a little, begging to be touched. Nicole lowered herself down and ran her tongue all the way up the inside of one of Waverly’s thighs, holding Waverly firmly as she did so.

“Wherever you die,” Nicole said, then she kissed Waverly’s left hip bone before adding, “I will die,” and kissing the other. Nicole finally gave Waverly the smallest hint of the contact she so desired, lightly grazing Waverly’s wet folds with her tongue. She felt Waverly’s body tense,  and she teased a bit more with her tongue, dipping in and out of the ready slickness that awaited her. She stopped just long enough to say, “And there I will be buried.”

“Nicole,” Waverly gasped, and Nicole felt a gentle tug on her hair. Nicole sucked Waverly’s throbbing clit one last time before rising back up. Caught up in the wondrous look in Waverly’s eyes and the desire coursing through her own body, Nicole nearly forgot how the reading ended, but it came to her. 

She said is slowly and as earnestly as she could muster. “May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us.” Nicole felt her cheeks get hot and tears welling in her eyes as she finished, so she leaned down and kissed Waverly softly, hoping to hide both. But a single tear betrayed her, sliding down her nose and dripping onto Waverly’s cheek. She felt Waverly’s breath catch a little before she pulled Nicole closer and deepened the kiss, her tongue exploring insistently. 

It all became a little messy very quickly. Noses bumped, teeth scraped, fingernails dug into skin. Nicole slipped her hand between them, finding Waverly’s wetness once again. Waverly’s hips rose to meet each thrust. Soon enough, Waverly was tensing around Nicole’s fingers, moaning loudly. Normally Nicole would worry about how much noise they were making, but she could not spare a thought for it this time.

Afterwards, they laid side-by-side on their backs. Nicole’s throat was dry, and her heart pounded in her chest. She glanced over and saw that Waverly was breathing deeply beside her, her eyes closed. She blindly found Nicole’s hand with her own. 

“You  _ have  _ been practicing,” Waverly said before turning to look at Nicole. Waverly’s eyes were bright with pleasure. Nicole gave her a little smile. After a few quiet moments of just gazing into each other’s eyes, Waverly propelled herself upright and sat astride Nicole. Nicole held Waverly by the hips as she shrugged off her shirt and bra. Waverly ran her hands along Nicole’s arms, then rested them on her shoulders. 

“But I think one more time wouldn’t hurt,” Waverly said. She gazed down at Nicole with her hazel eyes, which darkened with determination. Waverly licked her lips, and Nicole’s felt a jolt of electricity deep within. “How does it start, again?”

“Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back,” Nicole said quietly, squeezing Waverly’s hips. 

“Wherever you go, I will go,” Waverly replied, before putting her lips to Nicole’s.

_ Wherever you live, I will live. _

xxxxx

The rest of Jimmy and Edie’s wedding day was a blur of excitement and pure joy. The ceremony was beautiful. Nicole’s reading went off without a hitch, though after what happened earlier in the day, she had to be careful to  _ not _ look in Waverly’s direction as she spoke. She was thankful that her reading was before the vows because they turned her into a blubbering mess. Luckily, Waverly, ever the planner, brought plenty of tissues.

Waverly, Waverly, Waverly. Nicole felt drunk on her all over again. She was looking as gorgeous as ever, in a short sheath dress with a large, bright floral pattern. You could still faintly see the bruise on her shoulder from rock climbing. Waverly proudly called it her battle scar. She had helped Nicole shop for her own dress, getting her to try on a short, lacy turquoise number with bell sleeves that she’d never would have thought to try otherwise. Waverly said she looked amazing in it, and that was more than enough to convince Nicole it was the right one.

At the reception, they held hands under the table during all the speeches, laughing and tearing up with the other guests. After dinner and cake, the reception quickly turned into a dance party, and Nicole knew she was in for it. They danced for awhile but Nicole managed to slip away to take a breather and get more drinks. After she had done both, Nicole paused on the balcony that overlooked the dance floor.

“So first museums, and now dancing,” said a familiar voice behind her. Nicole turned to see Shae. Nicole had seen her from afar at the ceremony and the reception, but they had not spoken until now. “The things one does, eh?”

“Indeed,” Nicole said apprehensively. She turned back around and leaned on the railing. Waverly was in middle of the action, of course, dancing with Rodney and some of Jimmy’s cousins. 

Shae joined Nicole at the edge of the balcony. They both watched silently for a moment before Shae said, “So you really do love her?”

“Yes,” Nicole replied. “More than anything.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Nicole thought she saw Shae wince, and she felt a hint of guilt about adding that second part. They watched as Jimmy and Edie rejoined the dance floor to whoops and hollers. “I’m so happy for them,” Shae said.

“Me too.”

Shae turned around, leaning back against the railing to face Nicole. “You know, I look at them and can’t help but wonder if that could have been us. If I had known what I had in you, if I had fought harder to keep you, or harder to get you back, then I think we could have worked out,” Shae said whistfully. “But then you met her,” she added with a bit of edge in her voice, nodding back toward the dance floor, where Waverly was busting a move with Jimmy’s grandma.

Nicole knew in her heart that she was never going to get back together with Shae, but she decided it cost her nothing to be kind in this moment, so she simply said, “Maybe, who knows?” before retreating back down the stairs. As if on cue, the music changed to a slow song the second she found Waverly. Nicole handed Waverly a glass of wine, then looped her arms around her waist and held her close.

xxxxx

Although she had slept later than usual, Nicole woke up the morning after the wedding still feeling exhausted. She could hear the faucet running in the bathroom. Nicole sighed and buried herself further under the covers. A bit later, she woke up to the sound of Waverly zipping up her garment bag, which was hanging on the back of the door.

“Hey sleepyhead,” Waverly said. She was wearing one of the many t-shirts that had mysteriously disappeared from Nicole’s apartment over the last several months. “I was starting to wonder if you’d ever get up.”

Nicole finally sat up. “Too much champagne, too much dancing,” she said with a groan. “Just . . . too much.”

“I could tell. You almost fell asleep in your dress. I had to wrestle you out of it,” Waverly said. “And not in the fun way,” she added with a smirk.

Nicole regretted overdoing it. She would have enjoyed being wrestled out of her dress by Waverly, and doing the same to her. “I’m so sorry.”

Waverly sat down on the bed next to her. “Baby, it’s fine. It was a celebration. You were having fun.”

“Did you have fun?”

“Of course. But I had the good sense to stop after one glass of champagne.”

“That stuff is deadly,” Nicole commented. Waverly nodded in agreement.

Waverly looked at her with a serious expression. “So do you remember?”

“Remember what?”

“What you said on the way home?” 

_ Crap.  _ Nicole most definitely did  _ not  _ remember, whatever it was.

Waverly paused for a moment, then a smile spread slowly across her face. “You said that Britney Spears was underrated. It was very controversial.”

Nicole realized she was being teased, grabbed Waverly, and rolled her onto the bed and pinned her down. Waverly didn’t put up much of a fight. “I love you so much,” Nicole said.

“I want you to move to Purgatory,” Waverly blurted out. She looked a little surprised at her own words.

Nicole released Waverly and sat back. Waverly scrambled into a sitting position. 

“If you want to, I mean. If you took the job I would, I would like that,” Waverly stammered. 

Nicole wasn’t sure if it was her hangover or if she sat up too quickly, but the room was blurry. She blinked rapidly. Slowly, Waverly came back into focus. 

“Nicole, please say something,” she said.

“I’m sorry. You kinda caught me by surprise.” Nicole rubbed her forehead. Her head throbbed and her stomach was roiling.

“It just sort of came out,” Waverly said, casting her eyes downwards. “I shouldn’t have said anything yet because there’s more to it . . .”

“Hey.” Nicole reached out and cradled Waverly’s cheek in her hand. Waverly looked back up. “No, baby, this is a good thing. I’m glad you told me.” Nicole’s stomach rumbled. “Want to talk about it more at breakfast?”

That made Waverly smile. “Yeah.”

“Okay good. Mind if I shower first?” Waverly shook her head. Nicole kissed her on the forehead, then got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. 

“Oh and Nicole,” Waverly said. Nicole turned around in the doorway. “I love you too.”

xxxxx

Later, at the diner, as they waited on their food, Waverly showed Nicole some of the pictures she’d taken at the wedding reception. “So embarrassing,” Nicole said as she scrolled through pictures of her dancing with a bunch of her buddies from the academy. “I’m just glad there’s no video.”

“Oh I’ve got that too,” Waverly said, swiping a bit further until she got to one.

“Not anymore,” Nicole said as went for the delete key. Waverly grabbed for her phone, but Nicole held it out of reach.

“Nicole,” Waverly pouted. “It’s not that bad. And it’s not like I’m going to send it to anyone.” Nicole relented, handing Waverly back her phone before the video was permanently deleted. “Well maybe Wynonna,” Waverly said wickedly.

“You wouldn’t dare,” Nicole said.

“Oh wouldn’t I?” Waverly said with a wink. Then she showed Nicole a selfie they took at the reception. They both had frosting on their noses.

Nicole laughed. “I like that one. Send it to me?” Waverly nodded and tapped on the screen. Nicole heard her phone ping a few seconds later. She retrieved it from her pocket and sent the photo on to her Haley, along with a quick text.

Their food arrived soon after, and they tucked right in. After a few minutes, Nicole decided it was time. She nudged Waverly with her shoulder. “So you want me to move to Purgatory?”

Waverly slowly chewed and swallowed a bite of pancakes before responding. “Yeah, if that’s what you want.”

Nicole leaned over and rested her forehead against Waverly’s. “You know that’s what I want. Or was I not clear yesterday?” Waverly smiled and gave her a quick kiss. They both turned back to their breakfast.

“So you’re okay with the job?” Waverly asked, cutting off another bite from her stack of pancakes.

“Yeah, I had a good talk with Sheriff Nedley the other day when he drove me back from Purgatory”

“What did he say?”

“He said Purgatory is a special place, and that he thinks someone like me is just what the town needs after he retires.” Nicole smiled a little. “He said he could see me as the next sheriff.”

Nicole was a little disappointed when Waverly did not react to that last part. “Well calling Purgatory ‘special’ is one way to put it,” she said. “But there’s a little more to it than that.”

“What do you mean?”

Waverly put down her knife and fork and took a deep breath. “Nicole, there’s some stuff you need to know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my, I've had this chapter written for a long while (though I've been revising it, as one does), so I hope you all like it. The reading that Nicole was reciting is Ruth 1:16, a very popular wedding reading, and my guess is that Nicole's "Where you go, I go" in 2x11 is based on it. 
> 
> Update transparency: I very much hope to post the next chapter either later this week or early next week, but then work will keep me away for at least a week after that. I hope the (fast approaching) ending is worth the wait. Currently, there are 5 more chapters to go. 
> 
> Thanks, as always, for any kudos and comments. Each one is a huge motivator to keep writing and editing, even when life gets in the way.


	19. Demons

The morning after the wedding, Waverly had been incredibly vague about what, exactly, this “stuff” was that Nicole needed to know -- only saying that it involved Purgatory and her family, that it was the reason she had to stay there. Waverly insisted it would be easier to have the full conversation in Purgatory, so on her next day off, Nicole was heading there.

With Jimmy off on his honeymoon, Nicole had the apartment to herself for a few days, and the timing couldn’t be worse for Nicole to be alone with her thoughts. When she wasn’t at work, Nicole tried to distract herself with long runs and Netflix, but the dread built more and more with each passing day. She could not fathom what Waverly was going to tell her, but if it could potentially impact Nicole’s decision, then she knew it must be big deal.

The morning she was to leave for Purgatory, Nicole woke up early and couldn’t get back to sleep, so she threw some clothes in her duffle bag, stopped by Figaro’s for a coffee, and walked to Enterprise, arriving just as it opened. She sent Waverly a quick text to let her know she’d be arriving earlier than expected and then hit the road. When the podcast she’d planned to listen to was insufficient drown out the voices in her head, Nicole put on some music and turned it up, loud. 

Nicole still hadn’t heard back from Waverly when she arrived in Purgatory, so she stopped to buy coffee and donuts. As she waited at the counter for their drinks, she texted Waverly again. A few minutes later, Nicole finally got back a quick “k.” The perfunctory response put Nicole even more on edge. When she arrived at Waverly’s apartment, Nicole’s concern only grew when Waverly answered the door holding a glass of whiskey and looking like she’d been up all night. Nicole gave Waverly a quick kiss, a gesture that was not returned with the usual warmth.   


Waverly’s apartment, which she usually kept fairly tidy, had papers and boxes strewn throughout. One wall was covered in photographs, newspaper clippings, weird symbols, maps, and what appeared to be an Earp family tree. It looked eerily like the wall you might see on a TV drama when the cops are trying to track down a serial killer. Nicole turned around and looked at Waverly, who was seated at the table, sipping her whiskey.

“Waverly, what is all this?”

Waverly beckoned Nicole to join her at the table, and she did. Waverly polished off the rest of her whiskey and began. “So you know how I always say being an Earp is a curse? Well that’s not just an expression. My family is literally cursed . . .”

xxxxx

“Nicole, please don’t go,” Waverly pleaded, blocking the door. 

Nicole stopped short of Waverly. Her brain was running a mile a minute, processing everything that Waverly had just told her about a family curse dating back to Wyatt Earp (!), Wynonna accidentally killing their father with a “magic” gun that sends people to hell (!!), Willa’s abduction by the demons (!!!), the Ghost River triangle, something about Wynonna’s upcoming birthday….

Waverly had said it all rather quickly, gaining steam as she went along. She seemed to forget that Nicole was behind her at times as she rambled on. Nicole listened without really hearing it all because one word kept bouncing around her head.

_ Demons. _

_ Demons? _

_ Demons. _

_ Demons. _

_ Demons. _

_ Nope. _

_ Nope. _

_ Nope. _

_ Nope.  _

_ Nope. _

The apartment had never felt smaller. The air was heavy. Waverly was still talking when Nicole slammed her hands down on the small table, bolted up out of the chair, and turned for the door. She saw the blurry form of her girlfriend move quickly toward her.

“I  _ knew _ I would lose you over this,” Waverly said, crossing her arms.

Nicole looked down and saw tears welling in Waverly’s eyes, her face awash with desperation. The confusion Nicole felt started to dissipate, overwhelmed by the love she had for Waverly, a love that ran so deep Nicole had not yet found the bottom.

“I just need some air,” Nicole whispered.

Waverly didn’t move, a look of disbelief on her face.

“Waverly, where am I going to go? I don’t have my purse or my car keys,” she said, motioning to the table. Waverly stood firm, so Nicole softened her eyes and held out her hand. “I really do need some air. But please come with me.”

Once outside, they walked, hand-in-hand, down the street. Nicole had no particular destination in mind, but she knew that moving would slow her thoughts down. After ten minutes of silence, Nicole finally spoke.

“So what I saw at Shorty’s, those guys with the red eyes, that is related to all this, isn’t it? Those guys are…”

“Demons,” Waverly confirmed, and she explained what she knew about the demons coming back.

“You’re telling me those two were originally killed by Wyatt Earp, and they were resurrected when your father turned 27?”

“If they had been killed by the previous Earp heir before my Daddy, then yes. Since they’re still running around the Ghost River Triangle, he obviously never found them.”

“And when these . . . things get killed, they go to hell?”

“Yeah.”

_ Hell. _ Nicole had never really believed in such a thing. It seemed too cruel to exist. But Waverly was telling her it was real. Nicole continued to ask questions, and Waverly answered best she could.

They had been walking and talking for almost an hour when they found themselves outside the coffee shop around the corner from Shorty’s. Nicole thought about Waverly’s empty whiskey glass from earlier and the untouched coffees they had left behind up in the apartment. She suggested they get something to drink, and they ducked inside the bustling shop. A few customers greeted Waverly warmly and eyed Nicole with open curiosity. 

As they waited for their cappuccinos, Nicole was silent, hesitant to discuss anything they had been talking about around others. Waverly shifted nervously as they waited on their drinks. Nicole put her hand around Waverly’s waist, and she felt some of the tension ease out of Waverly’s body as she relaxed into Nicole.

“Can we drive somewhere after this?” Waverly asked quietly as she glanced up at Nicole. “I’d like to show you something.” 

Nicole pressed her lips to Waverly’s temple. “Sure, baby.”

After their drinks were ready, Nicole and Waverly walked back to Waverly’s Jeep. Waverly drove south out of town, eventually ending up on a gravel road. The sun was slowly creeping toward its peak. Nicole had left her sunglass back at Waverly’s apartment, so she squinted and wondered where they might be going.

Waverly took a few more turns and brought the Jeep to a stop at the end of a driveway. The entrance to the property was framed by a tall wooden gate, with angled beams supporting a heavy lintel, which had a piece of wood with a faded “Earp” carved into it nailed to the middle. The wooden fence that flanked the gate was old and ill maintained. An old farmhouse and some outbuildings were set back a couple hundred meters from where they sat.

Nicole took it all in and then looked over at Waverly, who was fidgeting with one of her rings. “This is where you grew up?”

Waverly nodded. “No one’s lived at the homestead since --.” She sucked her lips in and looked away. Nicole reached out and stilled Waverly’s hands. Waverly took a deep breath then brought her gaze back to Nicole’s. “This is where it happened -- the demon raid, Wynonna accidentally killing Daddy. It was the last time any of us saw Willa.” 

A single tear streaked down Waverly’s cheek. Nicole brushed it away and cupped Waverly’s cheek. She leaned over, pressing their foreheads together. “Wave,” she purred. Waverly’s eyes fluttered closed, and Nicole felt a few more hot tears on her fingertips. 

They sat like that for a minute or two. “Sorry,” Waverly finally whispered as she pulled back and wiped her face off with the back of her hand. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been by.”

Nicole suggested they head back. When they reached the outskirts of town, Nicole finally felt comfortable asking a few more questions.

“So with Willa gone, Wynonna’s the heir to this curse?

“Right,” Waverly replied, keeping her eyes on the road.

Nicole bit her lip, hesitating. But she had to ask. “Then what does this all have to do with you? You said Wynonna left years ago and doesn’t really come back, but you stayed. Why?”

Waverly did not immediately respond, Nicole worried she’d gone too far. Waverly steered the Jeep toward Shorty’s and parked out front. Then she turned to Nicole. 

“All that research upstairs is about helping Wynonna. I’m trying to figure out who all these people are, that Wyatt killed, for when she comes back. I want to be ready. I want to help her end the curse, once and for all.” 

The determined look on her face that Nicole knew all too well made it seem a certainty that Waverly Earp would do just that. She couldn’t help but smile just a little. “And this all starts when Wynonna turns 27, which is soon, right?”

“On September 12.”

_ A little less than three months. _

As they got out of the Jeep, Nicole realized how tired she was from the restless night of sleep, the early morning drive, and all this new, crazy information overloading her brain. She leaned against the hood of the Jeep. “I think I need to lay down,” she said, nodding toward Waverly’s apartment. 

When the got upstairs, they both devoured a donut. “I think I’d like to shower first,” Nicole said, and then she slipped into the bathroom. After stripping down and turning on the shower, she leaned on the sink and stared into the mirror as she waited for the water to warm up. There were dark circles under her eyes, and her hair was a tangled mess. As Nicole ran a hand through her hair, he mind starting racing again with thoughts of demons, curses, and magic guns.

Nicole closed her eyes, shook her head, and took a deep breath. She stepped into the shower and to her relief, the warm water did help clear her mind. Ten minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in a towel and feeling refreshed. She found Waverly tidying up her apartment, placing her research back into a banker’s box. Nicole grabbed another donut and watched as Waverly started to take things down off the wall.

“Wave, you can leave that. It looks like you worked hard on it.”

Waverly took her hand off a pushpin and stepped back from the wall. “I  _ was _ up half the night,” she admitted, looking back at Nicole and crossing her arms. “Whenever I get all this stuff out, I get a little obsessive about it.”

“Then you could probably use some rest too,” Nicole suggested, and she gave Waverly a wink and was rewarded with the first smile she’d seen from Waverly all day. She bent over her bag, looking for some fresh clothes, but Waverly walked over and took Nicole’s hands into her own. Nicole stood upright, and Waverly raised Nicole’s hands to her lips, kissing them one at a time. Then she let go and went for Nicole’s towel. 

“Waverly, that’s not what I -- I’m not sure I’m . . .”

“No, me neither,” Waverly replied with a little laugh, before turning serious again. “I just want you close to me, to feel you next to me. I want to know that you’re real.”

Nicole stepped closer to Waverly. “Okay,” she said. Waverly exhaled and her eyes brightened. Nicole undid her own towel, letting it fall to the ground. Waverly slowly undressed herself, keeping her eyes on Nicole’s as she did so. When they were both naked, Nicole cradled Waverly’s face in her hands and gave her a soft kiss. Without ceremony, they crawled bed and wound themselves together as closely as they could, and slept.

xxxxx

Hours later, Nicole awoke to Waverly in her arms, their bodies still pressed tightly together. Slowly, everything they had talked about came back to her. She tried to keep the confusion she felt that the morning at bay and consider whether anything she heard made sense.

_ It didn’t. Of course it didn’t. _

_ Right? _

Or maybe it did a little. At the very least, it explained some things about her girlfriend that she never quite understood before, and about Wynonna. 

Nicole thought about Sheriff Nedley too. He said Purgatory was special, but what did he mean by that exactly? Did he know about all this? He would’ve been around when Waverly’s father was killed. He might have even worked on the case. And he had to know about all of Wynonna’s subsequent legal problems. 

Nicole could feel her mind starting to race again, with questions, so many questions. But Waverly stirred in her arms, slowing her back down. She absentmindedly kissed Waverly’s bare shoulder as she’d done so many times before.

“You’re still here,” Waverly whispered, nuzzling back closer into Nicole.

“My love, where else would I be?”

Where else, indeed? Despite all the questions she had, all the illogical and irrational things that Waverly wanted her to believe,  _ needed  _ her to believe, Nicole’s heart had not shifted as far as Waverly was concerned, and she felt it never would.

And if what Waverly was saying was true, how could Nicole abandon her now?

She couldn’t, which meant moving to Purgatory, signing up for whatever crazy shit was coming down the pike, and putting herself in the type of danger they didn’t teach you about at the academy. Putting up with Wynonna.

Nicole drew Waverly even closer to her. She thought back to what she told Waverly the day of Jimmy’s wedding.

_ Your people will be my people. _

xxxxx

The first full day of Haley’s weekend in the Big City was a busy one. After coffee at Figaro’s, Nicole gave her sister a tour of the police station, then they visited the art museum before doing some sightseeing and shopping in the afternoon. That night, they met up with Jimmy and some of their police buddies at The Bullhorn.

After lots of pool and too many pitchers, Nicole and Haley were snuggled up in Nicole’s bed, laughing and teasing each other. Calamity Jane was curled up between them, clearly annoyed but unwilling to give up her spot on the bed. Nicole’s phone buzzed in her pocket -- she had a text from Waverly. They exchanged a few quick messages about their plans for the next day.

“Let’s take a quick pic,” Nicole suggested, laying down on the pillow next to Calamity Jane. Haley did the same on the other side. Nicole took the shot and then examined the results. Their hair was a mess, their eyes glassy from alcohol. Nicole smirked and typed out a text to Waverly.

> **[Sent by Nicole at 11:44 PM:]** Gotta go. I’ve got a couple pretty ladies waiting for me in bed. ;)

Nicole counted to ten then sent the picture. 

> **[Waverly:]** LOL! That’s a LOT of ginger. 
> 
> **[Nicole:]** Think you can handle it tomorrow? ;)
> 
> **[Waverly:]** I can barely handle you. :P
> 
> **[Nicole:]** I can’t wait for the next time you handle me.

Waverly replied with a shocked emoji, followed by a kissy face. Haley leaned over so she could read the exchange. “Gross,” she said before kissing Nicole on the cheek. “And adorable,” Haley added as she got up and headed to the bathroom. Nicole grinned.

> **[Nicole:]** Good night, my love.
> 
> **[Waverly:]** Good night, drunk Nicole.  <3

The next day, Nicole and Haley woke up groggy and hung over. They lazed about the apartment until it was time for them to get cleaned up and ready to meet Waverly for lunch. They arrived at the restaurant early, snagged a table, and sipped coffee while they waited.

Nicole glanced over at Haley, who was studying the menu, and then at her watch. She hated to do this right before Waverly would join them, but she didn’t want to leave it hanging any longer. Nicole took another drink of coffee and then folded her hands in front of her on the table. “Haley, we need to talk about Toronto,” she said. 

Haley put down the menu and looked up with a pained expression. “I said I’m sorry.”

“I know,” Nicole said softly. “And I know you were just doing what you thought was right, but I need you to understand something.” Nicole could feel some tears coming, and she took a deep breath to fight them off. She was surprised she was getting emotional, but then again, she’d never said any of this out loud.

After a long glance out the window, Nicole continued. “I know it sounds harsh, but our parents, they just don’t mean that much to me anymore. They just weren’t there for me when I needed them, so I found my own place in the world, my own family of sorts -- Edie, Jimmy and his family, my college friends, my police buddies. Those are the people that matter to me now, and I only want to spend my time and energy on people who have been there for me and love me for who I am.”

“I hope that includes me,” Haley replied quietly. 

“It does,” Nicole said quickly, putting her hand on Haley’s forearm and giving it a reassuring squeeze. 

“And now Waverly?”

Nicole smiled. “Waverly,” she said dreamily.

Haley rolled her eyes but asked with a smile, “So are you guys moving in together or what?”

Nicole was about to respond when she spotted Waverly walking through the door. “Let’s talk about that later, okay?” Nicole replied, with a pointed nod. 

Haley glanced over and saw Waverly coming their way. When she looked back at Nicole. Haley nodded conspiratorially.

xxxxx

A few days after Haley’s visit to the Big City, Nicole returned home from a long, hard shift. Jimmy was nowhere to be seen, though his door was closed so Nicole assumed he was already in bed. Nicole walked into the kitchen and grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator. She popped the cap, leaned back against the counter, and took a swig. 

As was their custom, Jimmy had left Nicole’s mail on the kitchen table. Nicole normally would have left it for later, but a postcard on the top of the stack caught her eye. It featured a picture of a sunny beach and a “Greetings from Amalfi” caption in bright pink. Confused, Nicole flipped over the card and confirmed it was addressed to her. She also noticed the postage was not from Italy, but from Spain. 

Nicole read the short message written in a messy scrawl.

> _ Welcome to Purgatory.  _
> 
> _ ~ Mercedes _
> 
> _ p.s. Don’t get my sister pregnant. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my, everyone, I apologize for the unexpected delay in getting this fic updated. Unfortunately, I had a skiing accident that required surgery on my wrist. I have a fairly demanding job and a young kiddo so I was in a cast for a bit, and then I wanted to stay focused on my getting my rehab right so I could get back to 100% for my family and work. That's going well so I've decided it is time to get going again on this fic. 
> 
> Luckily, I had a lot written before my surgery so hopefully I can update at a decent pace over the next few weeks. My goal is once a week. Thanks for your patience. Hope you enjoyed the update.


	20. Home

Nicole leaned one the railing of the front porch and took in the view -- the prairie rolling in the foreground, the mountains looming in the distance. For someone who had spent most of her life living in a city or the suburbs, Nicole felt strangely at home here in the outskirts of Purgatory.

“I’ll take it,” she said.

Her realtor, Beverly, had just taken a sip of her coffee, and did a literal spit-take. “But Ms. Haught, you haven’t even seen the inside.”

Nicole let out a chuckle. “I probably should, huh?”

At first, Nicole had only looked at houses in town, but nothing she saw felt right. She expanded her search, and this place -- a two-story farmhouse about fifteen minutes outside of town -- spoke to her just from the pictures. After seeing it in person, Nicole was certain it was what she wanted.

Walking around the ground floor, Nicole couldn’t help but imagine what it might be like to live in this house with Waverly. She could see them standing in the kitchen making dinner together, cuddling on the couch watching a movie, watching the sunset out on the front porch. No roommates, no distractions, no interruptions. Just Nicole and Waverly.

Waverly. The reason she was here at all. Well, mostly the reason. A few days after Waverly told her about the Earp curse, Nicole called Sheriff Nedley and accepted his offer. He sounded very pleased. Toward the end of the call, he said, “I’d like to think my persistence paid off, but I have a feeling that Waverly Earp might have a little something to do with this.”

It was the first time, in all of their talks, that he had brought up Waverly, or her personal life, at all. She was relieved that it never seemed to matter to the sheriff that she was gay. His recruitment of her had never wavered.

“It was definitely part of the draw, sir,” Nicole admitted. “But I am very much looking forward to working for you.”

“Well next time you’re up here, let me know, and I’ll meet you two for a drink to celebrate.”

They took him up on that offer next time Nicole was in Purgatory, meeting up with the sheriff at Shorty’s during happy hour. When Waverly was in the bathroom, Nicole asked him for a recommendation for a realtor, which is how she found Beverly. Nicole knew she wanted to buy a place, but she decided to keep the house hunting from Waverly. She swore the sheriff and Beverly to secrecy, in hopes of surprising Waverly, and so far, she had managed to pull it off.

Nicole also knew she wanted Waverly to move in with her. It just seemed to make sense. They were very much in love, and there was already a bit of domesticity in their relationship, given how much time Waverly had spent at Nicole’s apartment in the city. Nicole was actually a little surprised the subject hadn’t come up yet, though by the interest Waverly was taken in where Nicole would be living, it seemed like they were circling the same idea.

As Beverly showed Nicole the upstairs, these domestic desires only grew. There was more than enough room for two in the largest bedroom, including enough closet space for Waverly’s extensive wardrobe. And Nicole could finally get a bigger bed. She smiled silently to herself at the thought of waking up next to Waverly every morning.

After they finished the tour, Nicole reiterated to Beverly that she wanted the house. They discussed the details of the offer out on the porch, and Beverly left to get the paperwork going. Nicole stayed a little while longer, taking in the view once more and thinking about the strange, but wonderful, direction her life had taken in the last year.

xxxxx

“I really don’t like this,” Waverly said. “Where are we going?”

They were in Waverly’s Jeep, but Nicole was driving. Waverly was in the passenger seat, blindfolded. “We’re almost there, baby, I promise,” Nicole replied.

A few minutes later, they pulled up to Nicole’s new house. She had managed to keep it a secret after all, having convinced Waverly that she was moving into an apartment on a month-to-month lease until she figured out where to live.

This had taken some finesse on her part. Waverly seemed a little disappointed when Nicole mentioned the short-term rental. Perhaps she was expecting Nicole to tell her something else, though Waverly could hardly expect the two of them to live together in her tiny apartment above Shorty’s. But Waverly didn’t suggest anything different, either, which made Nicole a little nervous. But she reminded herself to take things one step at a time. And step one was showing Waverly the new house.

Nicole helped Waverly get down from the Jeep. Once she had Waverly positioned directly in front of the house, Nicole untied the blindfold. Before pulling it away from Waverly’s eyes, Nicole whispered, “You ready?” Waverly nodded, and Nicole stepped away.

Waverly opened her eyes, blinking rapidly as she readjusted to the light. Her eyes widened, but she said nothing. Nicole held out her hand. “Come on,” she said with a tilt of her head. Waverly took her hand and followed. When they were inside, Waverly finally spoke.

“So you--?”

“Yeah,” Nicole said with a grin. Waverly opened her mouth but said nothing, so Nicole went on. “I closed on it last week and moved my stuff in a couple days ago. I obviously still need to buy some more furniture.” She gestured at the sparsely furnished living room. Most of the stuff in the apartment had been Jimmy’s or wasn't worth keeping.

Nicole watched as Waverly wandered into the kitchen. She ran her hand along the counter and then paused to look out the window over the sink.

“Do you like it?” Nicole asked.

Waverly’s turned and nodded vaguely.

“You want to see the upstairs?”

Another nod. Nicole led Waverly up the stairs and showed her the main bedroom, which had Nicole’s old bed, dresser, and nightstand in it. Calamity Jane was curled up on one of the pillows. Waverly stood in the middle of the room. She still hadn’t said more than a handful of words. Nicole was starting to worry this surprise hadn't gone over well.

“I’m heading back to the city later to pick up a few last things from the apartment,” Nicole explained to fill the silence. “Then I’m hitting IKEA tomorrow to buy some furniture. Gus said I could borrow her truck.”

Waverly crossed her arms. “Gus knew about this?”

Nicole nodded apologetically. “She helped me cook up that story about the apartment. I wanted to surprise you, but maybe that wasn’t the best --”

“This is really happening,” Waverly said quietly. She sat down on the bed, which was already adorned with Nicole’s old purple comforter.

“And that's a good thing, right?” Since the moment Nicole had decided to move to Purgatory, Waverly had been nothing been enthusiastic about it. Yet now that it was actually happening, she seemed . . . regretful?

Waverly finally looked up at her. She had tears in her eyes.  “It’s just -- Nicole, I'm scared.”

Nicole felt her stomach wrench a little from those words. She was glad she had not yet asked Waverly to move in. “Hey, now, it’s gonna be okay," Nicole said as she knelt in front of Waverly and took her hands. “I know this is a really big step for us, me moving here. It’s natural to be a little freaked out about it.”

Waverly met her gaze, her eyes wide. “Oh, God, baby, no, no, no, no, no,” she said, giving Nicole’s hands a squeeze. “That’s not it at all. I couldn't be happier you are here. It’s just, I'm scared for you, for us, for my sister. It’s almost here, her birthday.” A tear escaped and slid down Waverly’s cheek.

Nicole was a little relieved this wasn't really about her at all. “Have you heard from her?”

Waverly shook her head and a few more tears fell. Nicole stood up and brought Waverly with her, enveloping her in a hug. She rubbed Waverly’s back while she cried quietly.

Waverly’s concern was understandable. Nicole thought about the “curse” sometimes, but she didn’t really know she was getting herself into. It was one thing to hear about these demons, but it would be another thing entirely to face them. Waverly had seen Wynonna accidentally kill their father when demons attacked the homestead, and she was there when Willa was abducted. And now the cycle was about to start all over again, putting Wynonna, and perhaps all of them, in mortal danger once again.

Nicole drew back and hooked Waverly’s chin with a finger, drawing her eyes up. “I'm not saying it’s gonna be OK, Wave.” She pressed their foreheads together. “But I will be here, whatever you need.”

Tears still sliding down her cheeks, Waverly whispered a quiet, “Thank you.” Then she buried her head in Nicole’s chest again. Nicole held her until Waverly muttered something about her shift starting soon. They went downstairs, locked up the house and hopped back into Waverly’s Jeep.

“I can’t believe Gus is letting your borrow her truck. She barely lets Curtis drive it,” Waverly remarked as Nicole parked the Jeep next to Gus’ truck in the alley behind Shorty’s.

“I'm hoping I come across some damsel in distress in need of a tow. I hear four-wheel drive is quite the turn on,” Nicole said with a wink. Waverly laughed, and it was a relief to see her smile at last.

xxxxx

That night, Jimmy and Nicole spent one last night together in their apartment. Almost all of Nicole’s stuff was gone, except for a few stray boxes in the kitchen. Nicole helped Jimmy pack up the last of his bedroom, and then they ate pizza and drank beers in living room, reminiscing about all their fun times together -- in college and afterwards. Jimmy truly was the brother Nicole never had, and it was going to be hard living so far apart.

“My Mom said you’d better come by when you’re in the city. And to bring Waverly,” Jimmy said. “My grandma loves her. She’s the only one that can keep up with her on the dance floor!”

Nicole laughed, but she also felt tears welling up in her eyes. It had always meant the world to her how accepting Jimmy’s family had been of her, particularly after her parents’ rejection. Nicole had spent many holidays with the Clark family.

“I will _definitely_ do that,” Nicole said, holding out her beer. Jimmy clinked his bottle against hers, and they drank. They laughed and carried on until all the beers in the fridge were gone. It was well past midnight when Nicole kissed Jimmy on the temple and told him to go to bed. Nicole curled up on the couch one last time.

The following day, Nicole didn’t arrive back in Purgatory until close to dinner time. She thought about stopping to pick up some food on her way through town, but she was tired and anxious to get home.  

Home. Nicole still couldn’t quite believe it. She owned a home.

As Nicole turned into her driveway, she was surprised to see the porch light was on, as well as a couple lights inside. Nicole knew she hadn't left them on yesterday. After parking the truck, she unlocked the glove compartment and took out her gun, just in case. But then a familiar form came out onto the porch.

It was Waverly. She greeted Nicole at the top of the porch stairs with a smile and a kiss. It made Nicole feel warm all over; the disappointment from yesterday was long gone. “Where’s your Jeep?” she asked.

“Gus dropped me off.”

“And how'd you get inside?”

“Beverly still has a spare set. Well, did.” Waverly gestured to the set of keys on the kitchen table. “She told me to give them to you.”

Nicole almost suggested then and there that Waverly just keep the keys, but instead she said, “It smells great in here.”

“I've got a casserole in the oven. I hope you’re hungry.”

“Starved.”

Waverly checked her watch. “Well we’ve got at least twenty minutes on the food. Should we carry some stuff in?”

They brought in two large bags, a few rugs, and various boxes containing the furniture that would require assembly, stacking it all in the living room for now. The couch took a little extra effort, but they got it inside. When Waverly went to the kitchen to take the casserole out of the oven, Nicole collapsed on her new couch.

“Beer or wine?” She heard Waverly call out from the kitchen. She must have brought both with her because Nicole hadn't yet been to the the grocery store.

“Beer!” Nicole replied. It had been a warm day and a cold beer sounded perfect.  Waverly came back into the room with two open beers and joined her on the couch, sitting the way she often would back at the apartment -- up against the armrest with her legs across Nicole’s lap. Nicole took a long sip of her beer and then pressed the cold bottle to her forehead as she looked out at the boxes piled by the stairs.

“Thanks for all the help. I’ve got long day ahead of me tomorrow, putting this stuff together.”

“Well you’re in luck because I happen to have tomorrow off,” Waverly replied with a smile.

A drop of perspiration from Nicole’s beer bottle dripped onto Waverly’s shin. Nicole ran her finger over it. “You think our relationship can handle a day of assembling IKEA furniture?”

“We’ll find out, won’t we?” Waverly said, smirking. She rubbed her legs together just a little, a tiny movement that was enough to spark something in Nicole, who ran her free hand up over Waverly’s knee. She looked up at Waverly, who cocked a eyebrow. Nicole sat her beer down on the floor, and Waverly did the same.

Nicole leaned over and kissed Waverly. As their lips moved and their tongues danced, it felt both familiar and new to Nicole, to be kissing Waverly here, in this house.

“Hey," Waverly whispered as she pressed a hand to Nicole's chest. Nicole sat back up, and Waverly maneuvered onto her lap. She cupped Nicole's face with both hands and rested her forehead against Nicole's. They were still for a minute, the only movement Nicole absentmindedly caressing the skin at the small of Waverly's back with her thumb.

When Waverly leaned back, Nicole opened her eyes and look up at Waverly. "I am so, so sorry about yesterday, about how I reacted to everything," Waverly said as she tucked an a errant strand of Nicole's hair behind her ear. "It's just, I've had a lot on my mind, and I was surprised. But I really do love it.”

Nicole went in for a kiss, but Waverly pulled back. "Did you really say you wanted to buy it before you'd even seen the inside?"'

"Beverly?"

Waverly nodded and smiled.

Nicole returned her smile. "I can't explain it, really. Something about it just felt right from the first moment," Nicole said. Even she wasn't sure if she was still talking about the house. But either way, Nicole knew she was  _home_.

xxxxx

The following Monday, Nicole started work at the Purgatory Sheriff’s Department. She was going to spend her first two weeks partnered with Nedley so she could get acclimated to the town and the department’s procedures.

“I’d put you with Lonnie, but that might be counterproductive,” the sheriff explained with his usual deadpan expression.

By the end of the first week, Nicole felt like she was getting the hang of things. The rhythms of a small town were a little different than what she was used to from Big City, but when it came right down to it, it was police work, and Nicole knew how to do good police work. Nedley seemed to agree. He started letting Nicole take the lead on all their calls, including a rather nasty car accident investigation. Nicole was particularly pleased when he didn’t have any notes on her accident report.

Toward the end of her training period, Nicole and Nedley responded to a call from the Thompson ranch about gunshots in the woods. Nedley asked Nicole to drive, and she got the impression it was a bit of a test -- to see if Nicole remembered where the ranch was. And she did. Nedley had pointed it out the other day as they drove past, so Nicole confidently navigated the cruiser out of town.

Nicole had learned quickly that Nedley wasn’t one for much idle chit chat, so the only thing that broke up the silence was the occasional chatter on the radio. When they arrived at the ranch, Bernie Thompson met them out front. He was an older gentleman who ran one of the bigger cattle operations in the county. As Nicole asked Bernie questions about the gunshots, his wife Ethel came out onto the porch with a tray of iced tea.

They sat on the porch, drinking tea as they waited on one of Bernie’s ranch hands to get back to the house. He was going to take Nicole and Nedley out to the area of the woods where the gunshots had come from.

As Nedley and Bernie talked about how the Purgatory High football team was looking heading into the season, Nicole asked Ethel about the ranch.

“So your property goes all the way up to the foothills?” Nicole asked as she look out from the porch.

“That’s right.”

“How many acres do you have?”

Ethel chuckled. “Oh sweetie, you really are a city girl. You never ask a rancher the size of her spread.”

“Apologies, ma’am,” Nicole said sheepishly.

Ethel put her hand on Nicole’s arm and gave her a reassuring squeeze. “So what’s this I hear about you and Waverly Earp?”

Nicole couldn’t help but smile. Apparently questions about acreage were forbidden, but questions about the new deputy’s dating life were just fine. Nedley glanced over, eyebrows raised, having clearly overheard the question. As Nicole tried to figure out how to respond, an old red truck rumbled into the gravel driveway.

“There’s Joey,” Bernie said.

“Nicole, get the rifles and lock up the cruiser,” Nedley ordered. “I’ll radio dispatch.”

A few minutes later, Nedley, Nicole and Joey piled in the truck. They drove on a dirt road for a a couple miles, and then Joey steered the truck over a small causeway and into a field. It had rained the day before last, and the ground was still muddy.

“The cruiser would probably get stuck in this mud,” Nedley said to Nicole. “Usually we would have brought one of the trucks out on a call like this, but one of them is in the shop, and Virgil was already using one for another call.”

Joey was a soft-spoken, middle-aged man who had worked at the ranch since he was a teenager. Nedley asked him a few questions about the gunshots as the trees got closer and closer.

Joey explained how he and Bernie were out checking one of the herds earlier when they heard shots coming from the woods. “There were at least two different firearms -- one sounded like a pistol and the other a shotgun,” Joey explained. He rolled the toothpick in his mouth to the opposite side before continuing. “We drove toward the sound, and that’s when we saw a bit of smoke coming from the woods. I wouldn’t usually think much of gunshots -- it’s usually just hunters who have wandered down from the mountains. But we’ve had a couple cows go missing lately without a trace.”

Nicole asked Joey some follow-up questions regarding the missing cattle and jotted down a few notes. Minutes later, they finally reached the edge of the trees. Nicole retrieved the rifles from the bed of the truck.

“Right in through there is where we found the remains of a campfire,” Joey said, gesturing with his toothpick. “Maybe 200 meters in.”

“Let’s go check it out,” Nedley said to Nicole. “Joey, you stay with the truck, please.” Joey nodded and perched on the tailgate.

Nedley and Nicole walked slowly into the woods. They quickly found the abandoned campsite. Nicole crouched down by the remains of the fire. “Looks like they burned more than wood, sheriff.”

Nedley joined her, but kept his eyes up toward the trees. “See if you can recover anything that might be useful,” he said. As Nedley slowly walked the rest of the clearing, Nicole put on some rubber gloves and began methodically separating the charred pieces of wood and manmade objects -- which were mostly empty beer cans and candy bar wrappers -- into two piles. She was almost done when she spotted a yellowed piece of paper buried underneath a log.

Nicole gingerly picked up the paper and laid it flat on her hand. It was only a fragment of a page. What was left had two parallel curves lines with strange lettering between them, as well as a symbol that looked sort of like a trident coming from what used to be the center of the page. Nicole thought the image looked familiar. She laid the paper gently down on the ground and took a quick picture with her phone before getting out an evidence bag.

Nedley came back over. “Find something interesting?” he asked.

Nicole handed him the bag. “Maybe.”

“Looks like gibberish to me,” Nedley replied gruffly. “Finish up here. I found a shotgun shell over by that tree that needs to be bagged as well. Then I want to follow some footprints I found.”

Nicole bagged a couple of the wrappers and the best-preserved can, joined Nedley by the treeline to gather the shotgun shell, and put everything in a larger evidence bag. Then Nedley showed her the fresh boot prints he had found that led away from the campsite. They were able to follow the prints for a few hundred meters, but the trail seemed to end at a small stream.

“Let’s head back,” Nedley said.

An hour later, they were on their way back to town. Nedley drove this time, leaving Nicole free to review her notes and begin logging the items she had collected. When she got to the piece of paper with the weird symbols, she took another hard look. It still seemed familiar. She had been surprised when Nedley had been so dismissive of it, because Nicole’s instincts told her it was something worth following up on.

“This symbol doesn’t strike you as unusual, sir?” Nicole asked, holding up the evidence bag.

“Unusual? Not by Purgatory standards,” Nedley replied. His tone was flat, but there was a little glimmer in his eye. Ever since Waverly had told her about the Earp curse and the demons, Nicole had been curious about what Nedley might know about it.

“What _is_ unusual for Purgatory?”

“Well years ago there was a real unusual rodeo. I’ll tell you about it sometime,” Nedley answered. From his tone, Nicole knew that sometime was not today, and that Nedley would be telling her about it in his own time. Nicole returned her attention to her notebook, and they rode silently until they were back at the station.

That afternoon, as Nicole worked on her report, a thought occurred to her -- Waverly just might recognize the symbols on the paper. She made a mental note to show her the picture on her phone later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ethel's comment - "You never ask a rancher the size of her spread" - is something that was ingrained in my by my grandpa, who was a cattle rancher with quite a big "spread." Not sure if it that is also a thing up in Canada, but I just had to include it.
> 
> Thanks for all the well wishes about my wrist. I assure you it has been healed nicely. And thank you for all the comments in general (and hello to some new readers who have recently found this fic).
> 
> It is looking like there will be three more chapters, so we're close to the end of this particular story, which is bittersweet.


	21. Research

Gus nodded at Nicole from behind the bar. She was polishing glasses. “Officer.”

Nicole walked down the steps, set her Stetson down on the bar, and slid onto a stool. “Please call me Nicole.”

“Not when you’re in uniform,” Gus replied. “I’ve got a pot of coffee brewing for Curtis, if you’d care for some.” Nicole nodded enthusiastically. She’d just come off the graveyard shift, and she was dragging already. But she was determined to see Waverly before she went home to get some sleep.

While Gus was in the kitchen, Curtis came in through the backdoor. As he settled onto the stool next to Nicole, Gus emerged with two mugs of steaming coffee, which she set in front of of Nicole and Curtis.

“Thank you, sweetheart,” Curtis said to his wife. She winked back and then retreated to the storeroom. “Randy says you’re settling in well,” Curtis said to Nicole.

“I think I’m getting the hang of things.”

“Well get ready.” There was an edge in Curtis’ voice that Nicole had never heard before. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and noticed he look tired. She also wasn’t sure how to interpret his reply. It was unclear to her exactly how much he knew about the curse and what was coming. Nicole decided to change the subject.

“I like my truck, by the way. Thanks again for helping me find it.”

Curtis nodded and took a sip. They sat in silence until Nicole finished hers.

“Is Waverly upstairs?”

“Last I knew.”

Nicole slid off her stool and collected her Stetson. “Thank Gus for the coffee.”

“Will do, _Officer,_ ” Curtis replied. Nicole opened her mouth to object but noticed the smile on Curtis’ lips. She grinned back and then trudged up the stairs.

Waverly smiled wide when she saw that it was Nicole on the other side of her door. She was still in her robe, which gave Nicole all sorts of ideas she unfortunately did not have the energy to act on. She leaned down and gave a Waverly a chaste kiss.

Waverly seemed to sense her weariness. “Rough shift?”

“Just tired.” Nicole hung her hat on one of the hooks by the door and then removed her service weapon from her belt, locking it in the small safe that Waverly had bought for her. She took off her belt and placed it on the table, then sunk into one of the chairs. Waverly stood behind her and lightly massaged her shoulders. Nicole closed her eyes and let her girlfriend’s soothing touch wash over her. But then something clicked in her brain, and she spun around. Waverly jumped back.

“Was that not?”

Nicole chuckled and reached out for Waverly’s hand. “No, baby. It was nice. I just remembered something I wanted to show you.” She fished her phone out of her pocket with one hand and pulled Waverly onto her lap with the other. Waverly settled in, putting one arm around Nicole’s shoulders. Nicole pressed her cheek against the silky, cool fabric of Waverly’s robe as she scrolled through the pictures on her phone.

“Here it is.” She handed the phone to Waverly. “What do you make of that?”

Waverly squinted at the screen, zooming in several times to take a closer look. “Is this related to a case?” Nicole told her about her trip to the ranch with Nedley. When she was done, Waverly jumped up and went to one of her boxes of research and started leafing through the contents. She bit her lip in frustration and moved onto another box. Finally, Waverly pulled out a piece of paper with look of triumph on her face. She reclaimed her place on Nicole’s lap.

The paper was a copy of a black-and-white illustration that looked very similar to what was on the fragment that Nicole found at the Thompson Ranch -- a circle with some type of lettering around the outside with a trident-like object in the center. Nicole held up her phone and compared the two -- it was definitely the same object, and possibly the same illustration. The caption below was not particularly helpful:

_Amulet, date unknown, possibly Cree in origin_

“Where did you get this page?” Nicole asked.

“I copied it out of this old book I found at the library.”

Nicole squinted at the bottom of the page from Waverly. There was some lettering at the bottom, but it was a little blurry.

“When?”

“A couple months ago, maybe.”

“Why this page?”

Waverly got back up and walked back over to the boxes. “It looked similar to something I saw a woman wearing in one of the photographs I’ve found during my Earp research,” she said. She knelt and started going through them again. While she did so, Nicole looked at the blurry lettering at the bottom of the page again. To Nicole’s eyes, it looked like the first two words were “Western Myth” but she could not make out the rest. She must have muttered the words aloud because Waverly, who was still crouching over one of her boxes, said, “Western Myth and Witchcraft.”

“Witchcraft?”

Waverly looked over and shrugged. Nicole laughed to herself -- of course Waverly was not phased by the idea of witchcraft. As Waverly methodically searched through her boxes, Nicole took off her boots and then considered the picture on her phone again. The fragment was yellowed and thick, like the kind of paper you might find in an old book. Nicole wondered visit if the fragment had been ripped from the same copy of _Western Myth and Witchcraft”_ that Waverly had looked through at the library.

A few minutes later, Waverly stood, arms crossed, and looked at the various documents pinned to her wall. “I _know_ I have that photo somewhere.”

Nicole walked over and hugged Waverly from behind. Waverly relaxed into the embrace. “It’s okay baby,” Nicole murmured into Waverly’s ear. “I’ll help you look for it later. But I’m wiped right now.”

Waverly turned in Nicole’s arms and started unbuttoning her uniform shirt. “Then stay here and lie down for a bit. I don’t need to be downstairs for a couple hours.” Waverly helped Nicole out of her shirt and hung it on the back of one of the chairs. As Nicole stripped off her khakis, she thought about how much she hated them.

“I think these are so cute on you,” Waverly said, as if reading her mind. She took the pants from Nicole and folded them neatly.

Nicole chuckled. “That makes one of us.” Waverly smiled back at her, and Nicole tried one more time to will herself to make a move, but she was too tired.

“Into bed,” Waverly ordered. “You need to sleep.”

Nicole slid under the covers. Waverly took her robe off -- she was wearing just a camisole and underwear underneath -- and joined her. After they arranged themselves, Nicole drifted off almost immediately.

Nicole woke up a couple hours later to the sound of Waverly typing on her laptop. She was sitting up in bed, her keyboard partially obscured by the the copy of the amulet illustration. Waverly had scrawled some notes around the edges of the page. Her eyes were bright, and she had a pen tucked behind her ear. Nicole found it all sexy as hell, and she wondered exactly when Waverly needed to be downstairs.

“I think I’ve figured out what the symbols around the edge mean.” Intrigued, Nicole sat up, leaned her head on Waverly’s shoulder, and listened intently as Waverly explained what she had found. Waverly was almost breathless by the end of it.

Nicole looked at her girlfriend with amazement. “You did all that while I was sleeping?” Waverly ducked her head, but Nicole hooked a finger under her chin, lifting her gaze back up. “Have I ever told you how sexy that big brain of yours is?” Nicole emphasized the point with a kiss to Waverly’s forehead. “You are extraordinary,” she added.

Waverly closed her laptop and set it on her bedside table, then grabbed her phone. She read aloud as she typed. “Be a little late, but Nicole says she’ll help me with prep.”

Nicole cocked an eyebrow. “Oh I will?”

Without a word, Waverly tossed her phone aside, escaped the covers, and positioned herself across Nicole’s legs. She gently cupped Nicole’s face with her hands and wickedly ground down into Nicole’s lap. The sensation was almost too much to bear.

“Oh, I _definitely_ will,” Nicole said with a moan. Her eyes were closed when Waverly finally kissed her, but she could feel her smile in response.

xxxxx

“Sorry we couldn’t do this on your actual birthday.”

“That’s okay. I know you’ve got to work a double that day. Maybe I’ll bring you lunch.”

“I’d like that,” Nicole said with a smile.

Lonnie was on medical leave for another week so Nedley needed Nicole to work a double shift on Waverly’s birthday. But today was her day off, and Nicole was taking Waverly to a little surprise in the Big City.

“Are we going to the history museum?” Waverly asked after Nicole parked her truck in one of the downtown garages.

Nicole shook her head and squeezed Waverly’s hand. “You’ll see.” They walked south out of the garage then turned back east toward the riverfront park. Their destination was now unmistakable.

“The carnival!” Waverly said.

Nicole smiled and nodded. “You said you always wanted to go.” They waited to cross the street that separated them from park, which was dotted with colorful tents and various rides. Waverly’s eyes were bright with excitement, and Nicole was glad to see it. She had been withdrawn the last few days. Wynonna’s birthday loomed, but the last anyone had heard from her was Wynonna’s postcard to Nicole. Nicole hoped the carnival would help Waverly forget her troubles, at least for a day.

They crossed the street and entered the grounds, wandering aimlessly at first, taking in their options. They stopped at a ticket booth, and then decided to start at the bumper cars. Waverly laughed as Nicole struggled to wedge her long legs into one of the cars, but Nicole got the better of her once they started driving. They did a few more rides before buying some carnival food -- cotton candy for Waverly, a soft pretzel for Nicole -- and moving on to the gallery of tents that housed the games.

Nicole managed to actually win a prize at the ring toss booth. She let Waverly pick and was surprised when Waverly opted for a small unicorn trinket on a keychain.

“Perfect,” said Nicole.

“Just like you,” Waverly replied before pulling Nicole down for a quick kiss.

Nicole drew a giggling Waverly closer to her. “No pressure.”

As much as Nicole knew she wasn’t perfect, and that Waverly wasn’t either, the weeks since she had moved to Purgatory had _felt_ perfect. Her transition to the Purgatory Sheriff’s Department was going well. Nedley had even tapped Nicole to lead the investigation into a recent spate of break-ins around town.

And then there was the house. Nicole loved it even more than she could have imagined. Gus and Curtis came over to help fix a few things and teach her some of the quirks of living in an old farmhouse. Waverly helped her repaint some of the rooms and hang things up on the walls. One of those was a present from Waverly -- she had one of Millie’s letters, as well as a few of her old travel photos, mounted in a custom frame.

“I hope you like the ones I picked out,” Waverly said as Nicole admired the gift. “Jerry at the frame shop said you could switch them out if you wanted.”

“No, I love it. Thank you.” Nicole had hung the frame over her dresser so she would see it every morning when she woke up. It was because of Millie’s generosity that Nicole had this house at all.

Waverly and Nicole had fallen into a bit of a routine. Waverly would stay at her own apartment if she worked late at Shorty’s or if Nicole was on the night shift, but otherwise, she stayed at Nicole’s. It was the kind of quiet domesticity that Nicole had dreamed of -- they cooked together in the kitchen, cuddled on the couch and watched movies, and sat on the porch to watch the sunset.

But if what Waverly was telling Nicole was true (and she had no reason to believe it wasn’t), then their honeymoon period was almost over. Wynonna’s 27th birthday was only a week away, and whether she came back or not, Nicole understood that the Earp “curse” would kick in. Nicole still wasn’t sure exactly what to expect, but she knew things would change.

Not her feelings for Waverly, though. Nicole knew that with every fiber of her being. It was a scary thought, almost as scary as the thought of demons returning to Purgatory from the depths of hell.

_Almost_.

Nicole took a deep breath and then finally released Waverly from the embrace. After trying out a few more carnival rides, they decided to grab more food while they waited for darkness to fall because they both agreed it was more fun to ride it after dark.

A couple corn dogs later, it was finally dark, and they walked hand-in-hand through the grounds toward the ferris wheel, which towered over the rest of the festivities. The line for the was long, but Nicole didn’t mind. It was a lovely evening in the city, and she had Waverly next to her.

When it was finally their turn and they were loaded into one of the cars, Nicole put her arm around Waverly, who snuggled into Nicole’s chest. They only had to wait for a few more people to load before the ride started its slow loop.

As they reached the top a second time, Waverly asked, “Do you miss it?”

“Miss what?”

“The city.”

“No.”

Waverly wasn’t buying it. “Not even a little?”

Nicole looked back out at the city lights. Even she was surprised how little she thought about the Big City. “I really don’t.” She took Waverly’s hand. “Why? Are you trying to get rid of me already?”

Waverly nudged Nicole with her shoulder. “Just making sure you’re sticking around.”

Although they were joking around, Nicole knew that this was actually treacherous ground. Nicole turned as best she could to face her girlfriend. “Wave, I’m not going anywhere. As long as you want me, I’ll be by your side.”

xxxxxx

Nicole glanced up from her paperwork as someone entered the sheriff’s office. It was Waverly. She was carrying a plastic bag. Nicole leaned back in her chair and smiled. “Hey there birthday girl,” she said.

“I know you didn’t have time to pack a lunch this morning, so I brought you something from Shorty’s.”

Nicole waved Waverly around. “It’s just me right now. Nedley went out on a call,” Nicole explained as she moved the files off the corner of the desk where Waverly liked to sit when she stopped by.

Waverly pulled the to-go box out of the bag and handed it to Nicole. “Chicken salad. No pickles.” Then she took her usual perch on the desk.

“Perfect. Thank you, baby.”

“By the way, have you seen my new keychain?” Waverly asked while Nicole had a mouthful of sandwich.

Nicole took her time chewing and swallowing. “Sorry, I haven’t seen it.” She hoped Waverly bought it because she knew exactly where it was -- in her desk drawer, inches below where Waverly was sitting. That morning, while Waverly was in the shower, it occurred to Nicole that the keychain could come in handy very soon.

“Let me know if you do.”

To avoid giving anything away, Nicole took another bite of her sandwich and nodded.

When Nicole was done eating, she asked Waverly to stay put for a second while she went to the break room. A minute later, Nicole returned carrying a plate with a chocolate cupcake with vanilla frosting on it, adorned with a single, lit candle. She sang happy birthday softly, finishing right as she made it back to her desk. She held the plate between them. “Make a wish,” Nicole said.

Waverly gave her a luminous smile, closed her eyes for a moment, then blew out the candle. She took the plate from Nicole and set it down on the desk before pulling Nicole in for a kiss that had Nicole thinking today might be a good day to test out Nedley’s couch.

But they were interrupted by the shrill ring of the phone on Nicole’s desk. “I need to get that,” she said apologetically.

“I should be going anyway.” Waverly grabbed the cupcake, pulled the candle out, and licked the frosting off the bottom. “You’re off at midnight?”

Nicole nodded. “I’ll text you when I’m done.” She picked up the phone. “Purgatory Sheriff’s Department, Nicole Haught speaking.”

“Nicole.” It was Nedley.

“Sir.” Nicole waved back at Waverly as she walked out of the office.

“I need you out at the McCready place right away.”

“What’s going on?”

“Just get out here.” His tone made Nicole’s stomach drop. Whatever it was, it was bad.

“And Nicole.”

“Yes sir?”

“Not a word to Waverly.”

Very, very bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so no good excuse for the latest delay. (Happy to report my wrist is 110%.) I just had a good old-fashioned crisis of confidence of my ability to wrap up this story the way I am planning to and will be satisfying to you all. So I distracted myself from that by working on a couple other stories that have been bouncing around in my head until I felt better about coming back to this.
> 
> On that note, I will NOT make any promises when the final chapters will be posted other than to say they will most definitely by posted before the new season drops on July 20. :)
> 
> Sidenote: I have been working on an entry for the latest fic challenge, but I'm not sure if I'll have time to finish it before the deadline. But even if I miss that, I'll still finish it at some point because it's been fun to work on. (I'm very much looking forward to reading all the entries; didn't want to read any until I came up with my own idea.)


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